To Be Loved By You
by Sybl Angelkat
Summary: Hessian/OC Sequel to "Eclipse". The Hessian and his new love have a life together, but Lady Van Tassel and her accomplice return from the depths of Hell. What will happen?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Someone told me to write another one, so I said, "What the heck? Why not?". So, I did. Once again, I love reviews and can't wait. I hope I get my buddies from "Eclipse" to read this one.

Chapter 1...Here Comes The Sun

_Here comes the sun,_

_here comes the sun_

_and I say_

_It's all right..._

The sun was just coming over the trees, bathing the world in orange light. Birds were beginning to chirp, penetrating the silence along with a whispering wind. The world was beginning to wake up to what promised to be a clear, cool day. The nighttime mist still hung thick in some places, making some of Sleepy Hollow's paths look like portals to another realm.

Dawn rose from the bed and stretched. She would have liked to have stayed there for another two hours at least, but it would be time for school soon and she didn't want the children to be late. Klaus was still fast asleep, his wild dark hair standing almost straight up in places. He looked so much younger when he slept.

She stepped into her dress and laced up the corset part, still allowing herself to admire him. Klaus had been used to sleeping completely naked when they'd first met. Now, he would always make sure his lower half was covered in case the children got scared and jumped in bed with them, but he left his top uncovered. Klaus was large-framed, but his muscle was lean muscle. He looked as though he'd been carved from white marble, a few battle scars here and there. Her eyes rested on the deep, thick scar on his left side, then at the thick, raised scar around his neck. So much had happened to him...

She shook herself out of that train of thought. He was hers now, and he was safe. She had vowed never to let anything happen to him. Ichabod claimed that they were a common-law marriage, but the new vicar would be coming soon and might not see it that way. She secretly hoped they would have a formal wedding.

Klaus, sensing her dark eyes, stirred. He was laying on his side and his arm was resting in the spot she'd been a few moments ago. He opened his icy blue eyes, blinking in the sunlight.

"This is it," Dawn reminded him, "Jaegar and Hanne have their first day of school."

Klaus groaned.

"Don't remind me," he mumbled, shielding his eyes with one hand, "I am not ready."

"I know."

_Little darling,_

_it's been a long cold lonely winter_

_little darling,_

_it seems like years since it's been here,_

_here comes the sun,_

_here comes the sun_

_and I say_

_it's all right._

She jumped onto the bed, making it shake. Klaus cringed; for a moment, he thought she was going to land on him. With a childish grin, she yanked off the covers.

"You know what that means for us, don't you?"

Klaus's brain was still foggy from sleep. He didn't even try to answer.

"More alone time for us," Dawn whispered in his ear. They hadn't had much time together since the twins were born because one was always awake and needing something.

Klaus gave her a school-boy smile.

"Still, I'm going to miss them like crazy," Dawn said with an air of nostalgia. Then, she was back to her business-like self.

"Come on! Ichabod's expecting you, too. He says he wants to get you a real uniform made so that you can get rid of that ratty old cloak of yours. Personally, I can't wait. Go see what Daredevil, Flash, and Starlight are up to and I'll get breakfast going."

She grabbed his wrists and pulled him into a sitting position. Knowing his woman, Klaus laughed.

"How much coffee have you had today?" he asked her.

"Surprisingly, none!" Dawn bounced out the door and closed it to let him get dressed.

Klaus went outside, his breath steaming in the morning air. It was cool for September, but it would warm up again soon. Daredevil and Flash were in their separate stalls and Starlight was there, too. Starlight was very spirited and young and couldn't wait for someone to ride him. After Gunpowder had passed away due to age, Klaus had contemplated giving him to Ichabod. He hadn't yet asked Dawn's opinion and reminded himself to do so later.

_It's about time! We thought you weren't coming!_ Daredevil grunted and shook his head around as Klaus measured out the grain. Despite Masbeth's offer to help care for the horses, Klaus wanted to do it himself. It was the one part of him that had never left during his twenty years as a specter.

"I am here the same time I am every morning," Klaus reminded him, "you are just impatient."

Within seconds, the horses were happily crunching their grain.

_Today's our first day at work, isn't it? I can't wait!_ Daredevil was always willing to go with Klaus and the idea of working again excited him as much as it did Klaus.

"Yes. I will be back."

He patted his best friend's neck and went back to the house.

Dawn had breakfast on the table, but she was kneeling next to Jaegar, who apparently didn't want to go to school.

"The other kids make fun of me! They tell me that Father did some bad things and they won't play with me!"

Dawn sighed. She knew it was coming for a long time.

"Not all of the other kids think that," Dawn assured him, gently wiping his nose with her lace handkerchief, "the reason why they're going to school is because they'll learn things they didn't know. You'll learn things about life, not just reading, writing, and math. You'll learn how to make friends and how to talk to other kids, you might even learn some new games. How does that sound?"

Jaegar still didn't look too sure.

"Oh, Jaegar! You're such a crybaby!" Hanne exclaimed, "I'm going, too, and I'm not afraid at all."

Dawn gave her a stern look.

"It's okay to be afraid to try new things," she continued with Jaegar, "everyone gets scared sometimes. I was scared when you and Hanne got lost in the woods last month. Your dad gets scared when he can't find you, but you can't let that stop you from trying."

She wiped his tears away.

"How about some breakfast, now?" she asked. Jaegar slowly sat in his chair and she served him. The smell of French toast and syrup filled the air.

"Hanne," Dawn said, pouring her a cup of milk, "I know how brave you are and I know you love going new places."

The little girl beamed at her mother's compliments.

"I need you to be a big girl and do me a big favor. Please help your brother today, okay? Help him make some friends."

Hanne sighed, letting her fork fall onto her plate with a CLINK!

"Okay," she sighed.

"Thanks." Dawn kissed her forehead.

Klaus had been standing in the doorway, watching. Dawn had dressed Hanne and Jaegar in similar outfits. Hanne had on a sky blue dress with white trimming that buttoned up the front. Jaegar had sky-blue pants that fastened in the front, a white button-up shirt, and a sky blue coat. Both children had just gotten their new shoes yesterday and they were both shining and black in the morning sun. Dawn had braided Hanne's hair and tied the end of the plait with a blue ribbon. Usually, they were both streaked from head to toe with mud or dust from playing. Klaus could hardly believe they were his children.

Dawn was also wearing sky-blue and white. She'd intended to brush her hair out that morning, but hadn't had time. It was still braided, but a few little curls had come loose.

"I take it the horses were happy to see you," she said as he sat down at the table.

"They always are," Klaus said sarcastically, "they would never forget the one that feeds them."

Dawn placed a plate in front of him.

"I know that feeling," she joked.

"Stop it!" Jaegar whined. Hanne had nearly shoved him out of his chair.

"Hanne," Dawn said sternly, "that's enough."

Hanne sighed and finished eating. Jaegar had planned to stick his tongue out at her, but he thought better of it.

As soon as breakfast was over, they heard the clanging of bells.

"It's time," Dawn said, having not even sat down to eat her own breakfast, "both of you come here for a second."

She gave them both cloth bags that were made out of canvas and wouldn't break. Inside each bag, their books and their lunches were there. Dawn had started teaching them letters and how to read when they were three, but she knew they'd be better off with an actual teacher.

"Okay, I love you both. Be nice to the other kids, listen to the teacher, and have a good time."

She kissed them both on the foreheads and hugged them. Then, she opened the door and pointed down the hill to the schoolhouse.

"See you this afternoon!"

Hanne grabbed Jaegar's hand and took off. Dawn was grateful that she was so free-spirited and adventurous. She watched their shrinking forms with a strange ache in her heart. Klaus wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"My own mother said she waited all day for me to come home," Klaus said, "I believe her now."

Dawn laughed.

Klaus had gone back to Germany for a short visit soon after the twins were born. Everyone thought Dawn was crazy for letting him go.

"If he loves me, he'll come back," she assured them all. She'd never asked Klaus what transpired during the visit, but he came back eagerly. He claimed he'd missed her every single day that he was gone and was constantly thinking about her. She believed him. Since he came back, the same heartache that showed through his eyes was long gone. He'd finally found peace and she was glad she'd let him go.

Now, things were beginning to settle into a comfortable routine.

"I must be going," Klaus commented, glancing at the small clock on the mantle, "I will be back this afternoon."

He gathered her up into a tight embrace. They kissed in the open doorway, not giving a flip if anyone saw them or not. The kiss was deep and warm.

"I can't wait," Dawn said breathlessly, her cheeks flushed. She didn't want him to leave, of course, but it was just part of life. She could still taste the cinnamon and syrup from breakfast.

"Ich werde an Sie noch denken." 1.

She watched him get Daredevil out of the stable from the kitchen window. With one last wave, off they went.

Dawn reheated her own untouched breakfast and sat at the table by herself. The house was entirely too quiet and too empty. She began to sing to herself as she cleared away the dishes.

"Little darling,

I feel that ice is slowly melting,

little darling,

it seems like years since it's been here.

Here comes the sun,

here comes the sun, and I say

it's all right.

It's all right."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2...Nightmares

Ichabod was waiting for Klaus in front of the courthouse. After literally years of practice, Ichabod had grown accustomed to seeing him and not fainting or getting the slightest bit dizzy. Without a trace of hesitation, Ichabod shook Klaus's hand.

"Nice to see you again, Klaus. How is Dawn?"

Klaus chuckled.

"It is the first day of school."

Ichabod gave him a knowing smile.

"Ah, yes! The separation anxiety. The nostalgia of watching children grow up. I'm thankful Katrina and I won't face that for another year. I do hope Dawn copes better with it than most mothers."

"I am certain she will," Klaus said, dismounting from Daredevil's back, "Dawn is not like most women."

"Thank God," Ichabod said, finishing his thoughts, "well, in any case, we've got our work cut out for us."

Klaus gave him a questioning look.

"There's been a murder on the bridge," Ichabod continued, "we've imprisoned the only suspect, but I doubt that he did it; he's only a youth and he seemed genuinely frightened. Since you are accustomed to wars, maybe you could decipher what the weapon was."

Klaus followed Ichabod to his new office. A separate room had been set aside for autopsies. There was a body laying under the white sheet. Holding a handkerchief to his mouth, Ichabod lifted the sheet.

The victim was a young man that Klaus had seen just yesterday. A bullet hole was showing through his neck just under his chin. A bloody mess was on his chest where his heart used to be. Klaus suppressed the urge to shudder.

"That was a musket," he commented, pointing to the hole, "fired at close range. See the burns? I would guess from the British."

There were scorch marks on the skin from the hot powder.

"All right," Ichabod said, scribbling this down in a notebook, "but why would they come up and slice his heart out?"

Klaus leaned in closer.

"A sword," he commented, "and none too skilled. The cut is clumsy, jagged. If it were a skilled swordsman, he would not have left such a ragged edge. The blade was blunt."

After tossing around a few ideas, they could not figure out who had done it. The boy who was being held in a jail cell insisted he'd had nothing to do with it and Ichabod believed him, so he let him go.

"Well, then," Ichabod said, "I can't think of anything else. Perhaps you and Daredevil could go to the bridge and see if you find anything?"

Klaus was grateful to be away from the room and away from the corpse.

The sun was bright and the morning chill had faded. Klaus had only to tell Daredevil where to go and the horse took off in a smooth canter. A few of the townspeople waved, others fearfully looked away. After seven years, one would think that these rumors would have died.

Klaus didn't mind, though. If they didn't want to know him, that was their problem.

They soon came to the bridge. Klaus dismounted and looked around. Then, he saw something sparkle. Ichabod in his haste had probably missed it.

Klaus picked it up. It was a red necklace made with rubies. Someone very rich must have dropped it. He held it up to his nose, sniffing like a bloodhound. A cloud of perfume still clung to the jewelry. It was very, very faint, but he knew that smell from somewhere...

It was so familiar...

Klaus pocketed it. He didn't see anything else but blood where the boy had fallen. Then, he took it back to the courthouse.

Other than trying to figure out the murder, the morning was rather slow. Klaus's stomach rumbled.

"Let's go see Dawn and Katrina," Ichabod said, reading his mind.

Dawn, Katrina, and Ann had gathered in Katrina's kitchen and were having a good laugh about something when the guys came in.

"Help yourselves," Dawn said, "we already ate."

Klaus sat down beside her.

They had to go back to work all too soon. Klaus showed Ichabod the necklace.

"I've seen this before, too," Ichabod commented, "but I don't remember whom it belongs to."

They put the necklace in one of Ichabod's desk drawers and locked it.

It was much easier to get chores done around the house without the children around, but Dawn still missed them. The house was sparkling clean and it would be at least another two hours before they came back.

Dawn sat by the fireplace with a book in her lap. She tried to read it, but ended up falling asleep.

_She was back in Klaus's tree when she saw a door that hadn't been there before. _

_"Klaus!" she called. No answer._

_She searched all over the tree for him, but there was no trace of him or Daredevil. She opened the strange door. _

_It was a strange world. There was no sun, but two moons, one a flaming yellow and the other a sickly green in a blood red sky. There were no plants, only a rocky landscape covered with ash. The air was muggy and humid like someone's bad breath. A river of what looked like blood was snaking around a boulder nearby._

_"Well, well, look who's here!"_

_The voice startled Dawn. She looked up to see a familiar-looking blonde-haired woman. One of her hands was missing, ending in a sinister-looking stump._

_"You're Mary Van Tassel, aren't you?" Dawn asked._

_"Smart girl. I can see why my once headless friend likes you."_

_Dawn gave her a questioning look._

_"Where is Klaus, anyway. Where am I?"_

_"Where are you?" Lady Van Tassel gave a disbelieving chuckle._

_"Haven't your parents taught you anything? You're at the gateway of Hell, my dear. The place that damned Hessian banished me to. Oh, and I do believe one of your friends is here."_

_Dawn cringed when she suddenly felt a hot breath on the back of her neck._

_"Hello, my love," a voice whispered. Dawn suddenly felt sick to her stomach._

_"Oh, no," she groaned, turning to face him. John grinned._

_"Miss me?" _

_"Not in the slightest."_

_He ran a hand through his hair, lifting it to reveal the bullet hole. She could see the very end of it still shining amidst his flesh. She felt sick to her stomach._

_"Oh, still touchy about that wedding thing? I dearly hoped you could forgive me for that at least. I've lost everything thanks to your friend Jane. I will never get to heaven thanks to all of you."_

_Dawn shuddered._

_"Where's Klaus?" she demanded._

_"Oh, that disgusting demon? We've made sure he's quite at home with us."_

_In the distance, she heard a cry of pain._

_"KLAUS!" Dawn yelled._

_"Scream all you want," Lady Van Tassel said, "we have a score to settle."_

The door flung open and Dawn jerked awake. Within seconds, she was being kissed in the face.

"We're back!" Hanne announced. Dawn breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. It had only been a nightmare.

"How was school?" Dawn asked.

"It was wonderful! Jasmine and I met a girl named Catherine! And Jaegar even made a friend!"

Dawn looked at Jaegar.

"So, tell me about your friend," Dawn said.

"His name is George. He doesn't talk much, but he can kick a ball across the school yard."

"Sounds like fun. Did you like your teacher?"

"As long as we don't get in trouble," Hanne said, "he slaps your hands with a ruler or makes you sit in the corner if you do things like talk or fidget or make it hard for other children to read. But we didn't get in trouble."

"Very good. So what did you learn today?"

Jaegar opened his book and pointed to the first row of words.

"I can read this," he said, "at, bat, cat, pat, mat, rat."

"That's very good," Dawn commented.

"I can't wait to go back tomorrow!" Hanne exclaimed.

"I'm glad you like it," Dawn said.

She shook the thoughts of nightmares out of her head as she ran off to play with them.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3...A Disturbance

He stared at them from the other side. They would not be able to see him, but he could see them quite clearly. Dawn's laughter rang through the air with all the warm sunshine, things that he could not have.

John scowled. That damned Hessian had taken everything from him! He didn't have a shred of his dignity left. Around him, flames licked at his feet and his hazel eyes glowed red for a moment.

"Calm yourself, you pitiful excuse for a vicar!"

John turned his head. Mary Van Tassel stood there, her hair floating slightly as though wind were blowing it.

"What do you want?" John snarled.

Mary stepped forward.

"You want out of here and you want that woman to claim as yours, correct?" she asked.

"Yes," John said hesitantly.

"And I want out of here and I want that damned Hessian dead! For good! Perhaps we can make some sort of deal," she said casually.

John thought that over.

"What do you propose?" he asked, staring into the pool of water that showed Dawn and her children.

"You help me to kill the Hessian and his children and I can drift between realms at will. In exchange for your help, I will let you have Dawn and bond her to you for eternity."

John grinned.

"No resistance?" he asked.

"Not enough to matter," Mary said, "and we'll take out Ichabod and Katrina while we're at it. I shall take back my house. I'm tired of living amongst common thieves and murderers."

She offered her hand to John. He noticed that the other was merely a stump. It was probably where she'd caught it in the tree.

"How will we do this?" John asked as his hand closed around hers.

"You'll see. Now, come on!" Mary grabbed the sleeve of his jacket and pulled him away from the pool.

They came to a crumbling stone mansion. A pack of black dogs, large enough to eat small children, was crowded along the walk. All of them snarled and had glowing yellow eyes.

"Out of my way, you mongrels!" Mary shoved past them. One of them growled and decided to try and take a chunk out of John's leg.

"Ow! You stupid beast!" John tried to dislodge his leg, but only succeeded in angering the animal.

Mary gave the dog a sharp slap. It cowered away into the darkness.

"Hellhounds. Wonderful guard dogs, but they have the brains of a turnip," Mary mumbled. John limped into the house behind her and she slammed the door, almost catching another one's nose.

"Now, let's cast the spell."

"Good night, mama," Hanne yawned as Dawn tucked her in. In the other bed, Jaegar was almost asleep already. Everyone had been changed, given warm milk, and had a story told to them.

"Good night, kids."

Dawn kissed Hanne, then Jaegar and quietly closed the door behind her.

"They are asleep?" Klaus asked.

"Almost. Today was a big day for them," Dawn said, "tomorrow will be, too."

Klaus was holding out his hands in a receiving gesture. Dawn slid into his embrace, welcoming the warm firmness of his body against her chest. Her head rested against his chest for a moment and she listened to his heart beat. It was the most wonderful sound in the world to her.

Klaus's face buried in her hair, breathing in her scent. He felt a stirring in his insides. A hand stroked Dawn's cheek, then lifted her chin so that she was gazing into his icy blue eyes. His kiss was gentle at first, then became heated. Dawn melted in his arms.

Klaus's heart was thundering. Despite the fact that he'd been alive for seven years now, he still couldn't get used to the pounding sensation, nor the rush of blood through his veins. He steered her backward towards the bedroom and was nervously waiting for her to say something. Once the twins were old enough to sleep in their own beds and consequently old enough to get out of bed and wonder what was going on, Dawn had been uncharacteristically shy about being intimate. Klaus tried to be understanding of it, but it got harder to cool down each time.

Dawn did not object this time. He nudged the door closed with his foot and eased her backward onto the bed. Just as his hand reached around to unfasten her dress, the door flew open again. Klaus and Dawn jumped apart just as Jaegar came tearing in, tears streaming down his small face. Klaus squashed the urge to curse loudly.

"What's wrong, Jaegar?" Dawn asked, kneeling to embrace him.

"I had a nightmare! There's this blonde lady and a man with a hole in his head trying to hurt you and Father!"

Dawn's insides went cold. She looked up at Klaus, whose expression gave away nothing. He was still staring intently at Jaegar.

Blonde lady? Man with a hole in his head? Uh-oh...That sounded like...

No, it couldn't be.

Could it?

"Nightmares can't hurt you," Dawn told him, "they're just shadows in your head. Next time you dream about them, just tell them both to go away."

Dawn cradled Jaegar in her lap until he fell asleep again. When he was finally out, Klaus carefully lifted his sleeping son and carried him back into his own bed.

When he got back, Dawn had unbraided her hair and was in the process of brushing it out. It had gotten quite long and was now to her lower back. Klaus ran his hand down the back of her head, reveling in the softness.

"Ich habe Sie vermisst, Meine Liebe."1.

Dawn gave him a helpless grin.

"Yeah, it's been forever. We have the best kids with the worst timing," she said.

His hands slid down her back, sending chills through her body. She rose from the chair and turned to face him, her dark eyes making him shiver slightly. She embraced him and they kissed again, her fingers sliding through his dark hair. His hands slid down her back, sending pleasant tingles up and down her spine. One hand pushed the door closed behind her. She melted under his touch, every nerve standing on end. When they were sure it promised to be a peaceful night, Dawn stepped out of her dress. She closed her eyes and gave herself over to the feeling. Just as they came together, however, something happened. For a split second, John's face flashed before her, laughing evilly. She gasped, but Klaus did not catch the fear. It disappeared as quickly as it appeared and she forced it out of her mind.

Moments later, both of them were laying entwined around each other, both struggling to breathe, both with pounding hearts and limbs that seemed to be made of water. Weeks of anticipation at a time had built into a flaming inferno. Now, both of them were basking in the glow of love, warmth, and release.

Klaus's arms were wrapped tightly around her. Dawn never felt so safe as when she was in Klaus's embrace. John's face still haunted her, but she pushed it away. John had been dead for a long time- she'd seen his body in the casket shortly before they buried him. He could get her.

Or so she thought.

Translation:

1. "It has been too long, my love."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4...A Dark Revelation

Dawn woke with a strange feeling the next morning as though she were being watched. Beside her, Klaus was sleeping peacefully, his arms still wrapped around her. She studied his face, wondering why she felt the way she did.

She knew she needed to get up and get dressed before the children saw them naked, but she longed to stay in his arms for a while longer. Reluctantly, she disentangled herself from him and got dressed.

Klaus woke up soon afterward, having felt her moved. He saw the concern in her face and sat up.

"Is something bothering you?"

Dawn sighed. She'd have to tell him sooner or later.

"Oh, it's nothing important," Dawn said, trying to sound dismissive, "I had a nightmare about John yesterday when I dozed off in the chair. It was just a stupid dream, though, right?"

Klaus heard the fear in her voice. He knew better than to pretend it was nothing. Since he and Ichabod had been investigating the murder on the bridge, something had been off-kilter.

"Right?" she repeated. Klaus pulled her into his lap.

"I don't understand what is happening," he admitted, "but I would never let John hurt you again. I love you."

Dawn gave a tiny smile.

"Ich werde Sie schützen," he whispered, fastening her dress for her.

"Mama! It's morning!" Hanne's voice announced. Dawn grabbed Klaus's trousers and tossed them to him behind her back. She strategically placed herself in front of Klaus as he hurriedly pulled them up.

"I want to go to school again!" Hanne announced. She darted around Dawn before Dawn had a chance to stop her. She breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that Klaus's lower half was at least covered.

"Daddy! Are you awake?"

She pounced on him, knocking him backwards onto the bed, Klaus laughed.

"That would wake me if I weren't, mein Schatz."1.

Jaegar came in, looking pale.

"Jaegar had that bad dream again," Hanne informed them as she let Klaus get up, "but he didn't come in here because he said he wanted to be brave like me."

"Again?" Dawn asked. Jaegar nodded, yawning.

She hugged him.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" She asked.

"Yes. I don't want to think about it. I want to go play with George."

"Okay."

Dawn went to help them get dressed while Klaus finished dressing. He chuckled to himself, remembering Dawn's narrow save.

Once the children were off to school, Dawn was scrubbing the dishes with a lot more concentration than was necessary. Klaus came in from attending to the horses and wrapped his arms around her plump waist.

"I'm really worried about these dreams that Jaegar keeps having," she said out of reflex, "I hope John and Mary aren't after us."

Klaus wanted to say that this was impossible, but he stopped himself. It had happened once before.

"Ask Katrina," he said instead, surprising himself, "maybe she will know for sure."

He gave an involuntary shudder, remembering how Lady Van Tassel had used him.

The sound of a frantic knock made them both jump. Before Dawn could say "come in," Ichabod exploded through the door.

"There's been another murder! Jane's husband has been killed!"

Dawn felt Klaus's arms instinctively tighten around her. With a trembling hand, she set down the plate she'd been scrubbing and wiped her hands on her apron.

Suddenly, Klaus remembered where he'd seen that ruby necklace. Lady Van Tassel had been wearing it when she'd called him up to kill one of the victims standing in her way of the family fortune. He couldn't remember who he'd killed that night, but he remembered her being present to laugh as he'd broken into their home.

He let out a string of colorful German curses. Dawn couldn't understand what he'd said, but she had a good idea of it from his tone. He felt, rather than saw, her go pale. Ichabod must have realized it too because he fell to the floor with a resounding THUD!

Dawn gently slid out of Klaus's hold and knelt over him.

"Get the smelling salts," she said weakly. Klaus retrieved the small vial and uncorked it. She waved it beneath Ichabod's nose until he stirred.

"Why must it always be a supernatural villain?" Ichabod moaned, "Everything made perfect sense until I came to live here."

Dawn and Klaus hauled him over to the sofa in the living room and lay him on it.

"Good question," Dawn said, "I have a feeling that John's involved in this, too."

Klaus looked at her darkly.

"I'm serious," she said, eyes filling with tears, "do you really think he'd have gone to Heaven for what he did to us?"

He pulled her into an embrace as Ichabod struggled to stay conscious. When he'd finally composed himself, he sat up again.

"I must go get Katrina."

Dawn sat down on the sofa, watching him go.

"Poor Jane," Dawn said sadly, "she and Devin just had their first baby. She must be heartbroken. And you went to all that trouble to make sure they were together."

Klaus sat down beside her and took her hands in his, still damp from the dishwater.

"It was not for nothing," he reminded her, "it was never for nothing."

Dawn gave him a weak smile.

"I guess you're right," she sighed, "but I just hate not knowing how to stop them."

He didn't know how to answer that.

Jane was in shock. She hadn't said a word in three days and her face was as pale as milk. Dawn helped her with her chores and tried to get her to talk. She was unsuccessful, but she did get Jane to eat a little bit at the end of the third day. She slept poorly because she was afraid John would haunt her nightmares again.

Klaus sighed as he turned down the covers. Dawn was pacing by the window, occasionally looking out at the Western Woods. She longed for things to be peaceful again.

"Mein Liebe," he told her, "you must get some rest."

Dawn turned to look at him. Her face was pale, making her dark eyes look huge. She looked exhausted.

"I know," she mumbled.

She was in her nightgown, but she didn't want to go to bed. Klaus slid beneath the covers and extinguished the candle. He patiently patted the space next to him. Dawn smiled and joined him.

Klaus was asleep almost instantly, but Dawn lay awake, her head resting on his chest. She stared off into the dark, laying on her side. A shadow flitted across the window, making her close her eyes tightly and pray it was only a leaf or something blowing in the wind. She opened them again. At first, she saw nothing, but a shadow near the door got her attention. It was the shadow of a man.

Dawn shuddered, but tried to tell herself it was her imagination. The shadow approached the bed. By now, Dawn's heart was thundering. Beneath the covers, she squeezed Klaus's arm, hoping he'd feel it and wake up. No such luck. She pinched him hard. Klaus was still sleeping. She rammed one knee into his hip and he still didn't wake.

Uh-oh.

Fear flooded Dawn like a lightning bolt and a cold sweat broke out on her skin. The shadow approached the bed. As it stepped into the moonlight, it took on an eerily familiar form, someone she'd prayed she'd never see again.

John.

"Miss me, love?"

Dawn forgot all subtleties and gave Klaus a good shake, but he was still out cold.

"Don't worry about him. He won't wake until the first ray of sunlight passes over the trees," John said smoothly, coming to sit on the edge of the bed. Dawn gathered up what was left of her courage.

"What are you doing back here? I thought you were dead!"

John chuckled softly.

"That's the problem, darling. I am."

She noticed that he had a bandage wrapped in a band around his head. He pulled it off in one swift motion. The bullet hole gaped darkly against his ashen skin and coppery hair.

Dawn resisted the urge to get sick.

"See? The bullet's still there. Jane's a very good shot, but I saw her fire out of the corner of my eye a split second before I fell. You cheated me out of a promise, Dawn. I may have come from the depths of Hell, but I don't take kindly to deception."

"So what do you want? You're the one that screwed everything up, not me! I didn't know Jane was going to kill you!"

John smiled nastily.

"Maybe not," he said, inching closer, "but you wanted _something_ to happen. That's just as bad. Your will was so strong that you and your demon Hessian would end up together that you probably would have shot me yourself if given the chance."

Dawn swallowed hard. Now that she thought about it...

John glanced over at the still-sleeping Klaus.

"He's going to wonder where he got that nasty bruise in the morning," he said casually, "what do you plan to tell him?"

Oh boy...Dawn had no idea. She sighed irritably.

"Quit playing games with me, John. What the Hell do you want?"

"My answer is the same as always," John purred, "I want you to listen to me and do as I say. If you don't, bad things will happen to Sleepy Hollow. I will make sure of it."

"Lady Van Tassel's behind this too, isn't she?" Dawn demanded.

"Very good. I see that seven years with him has not dulled your wit."

Dawn went from being scared to being very angry. She moved to hit him, but her hand passed harmlessly through John.

"Temper, temper," he taunted her, "calm yourself. It's hard to cut a deal with you when you're throwing punches."

Dawn's face flushed dark red. Even in the moonlight, he could see it. Flames were burning beneath her dark eyes.

He leaned forward and kissed her. Dawn resisted the urge to gag.

"I know things seem ghastly right now," he told her, "but they will get better."

Dawn started to ask him how, but a strange heat invaded her stomach and it wasn't more anger.

_What the-?_

"See?"

Oh, no...

Dawn pinched herself, praying it was only a nightmare. She closed her eyes for a moment, but John had come even closer when she opened them again.

He ran his fingers along the curve of her cheek. Dark shivers ran through Dawn's nerves. Beside her, poor Klaus was completely oblivious to what was going on.

John kissed her again and, despite her mental disgust, Dawn found herself melting. Despite every neuron in her brain screaming "NO!", it was as though her will did not matter anymore.

"Don't worry, love, he won't find out."

John's voice was husky with lust. Despite the fact that she could not injure him in any way, he felt very physical and very real. Dawn struggled to catch her breath. John pinned her down to the bed. Just when she thought things were surely going to take a turn for the worse, he sat up and let her loose.

"It's like drinking," John said dismissively, "it's better to get tipsy from one glass than smashed from the whole bottle at once."

Dawn, despite the strange control he now had over her, was furious.

"I could make an exception to that rule," he commented, but just as he reached for her again, Jaegar came tearing into the room. He took one look at John and gave a bloodcurdling scream. As though he'd been struck by lightning, Klaus jerked awake and was sitting upright before he realized what had happened. With a sinister glare, John vanished.

Dawn breathed a sigh of relief, though her heart was thundering. Hanne sleepily came dragging in behind Jaegar, who buried his face in her shoulder and gave a shuddering sob.

"You saw him, didn't you?" Dawn asked frantically.

"Unfortunately," Klaus snapped, "what was happening? I saw him kissing you."

"He's trying to get me to want him and he's got Lady Van Tassel involved," Dawn explained as Hanne dragged a bawling Jaegar over to the bed. She pulled Jaegar into her lap and attempted to calm the sobbing boy. Hanne climbed up beside her.

"Mama, who was that man?" she asked.

Dawn saw no easy way to put this.

"My worst nightmare," she replied bluntly.

With everyone piled in the bed, Dawn and Klaus slept with Hanne and Jaegar between them. All of them were curled tightly around one another and everyone's arms were entwined. Dawn couldn't believe this situation.

She couldn't see John, but she could feel his presence. As dawn approached, she felt him slowly vanish, knowing he would be back.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Klaus was never so aggravated in his life. He would have given anything to rip John limb from limb. Dawn had been prepared to give up her life to save him and their unborn children. Now, that vicar from Hell was threatening to break them up again!

He'd tried to be understanding because he knew how much damage dark magic could do. It could take you over completely.

But it still ticked him off. Dawn was HIS woman!

Klaus paced in front of the fireplace as Katrina searched her book. Ichabod was at a loss as to what to do. He was doodling in his notebook, scribbling down sentences related to the case and sketching pictures.

"Well, there is a way to stop him," Katrina said, "and my stepmother, too, but it's very complicated. We don't have many options."

"So, what can we do?" Dawn asked.

"The first option would be to have him possess you and kill you both, but I refuse to do that. The second option would be to give him what he wants, but we can't have that, either. The third is to send us through the gateway and use Klaus's sword to execute Mary. Without her physical body, she has no power over you. If you do away with her power, you take away John's power as well. A demon is only as powerful as the one controlling them."

Dawn and Klaus looked at each other.

"So..." Dawn trailed off.

"It must be one of you. I really don't like the idea of sending both of you there because something bad might happen. I would offer to go myself, but I would have no effect on her."

She looked at the two of them.

"Klaus, I really don't advise you going because she's influenced you before. It looks like it's up to you, Dawn."

Klaus clutched her tightly.

"No. She will not go."

Dawn looked up at him. His mouth was set in a tight line and his eyes looked like bright blue flames.

"I promised you I would protect you, mein Liebe," he told her.

"By rights, you still belong to her, Klaus," Dawn reminded him, "down there, she could render you powerless. I've got to be the one to do this."

"No," he insisted.

Dawn seemed to age ten years before his eyes.

"Klaus, I can't bear the thought of you being controlled by her again. Please don't make me go through that. You can protect Hanne and Jaegar much better than I could."

He was about to resist her decision again, but her dark eyes pleaded with him.

"I don't want you to."

It was an honest answer, but she could feel him giving in slowly.

The answer was in his deep sigh.

"We should be able to do it when winter sets in," Katrina said, "there will be a lunar eclipse that stains the moon with blood. The barrier between the Living and the Dead should be thinnest then."

Dawn swallowed hard.

"What do I have to do?" she asked.

"I will open the Gateway where the Tree of the Dead once stood," Katrina said, "but we will need to dig around the roots of the tree so that they have room to open. Once we have opened the gateway, you must take Klaus's sword with you and I will have to seal the gate behind you. Otherwise, some very undesirable beings might come through there. Then, you must find John and Lady Van Tassel. John will be more powerful there, but if you find Mary first and she doesn't detect you coming, you can kill her and he'll lose most of his power. If it makes you feel better, attack John as well. If he's incapacitated, he can't help Mary. Then, when she's dead for sure, come to the gate immediately. She will rematerialize in a matter of minutes. If you don't make it out in time, she could quite possibly kill you."

Dawn shuddered involuntarily.

"How much of a window do I have?" Dawn asked.

"About fifteen minutes. Not very long, unfortunately."

Despite the fact that a daunting task lay ahead, Dawn felt stronger knowing she could stop John and Lady Van Tassel.

"How will I know where to go?" Dawn asked.

Klaus grimaced.

"I know where she stays," he admitted. Ichabod hadn't been paying much attention during this time. He was still doodling busily in the notebook. Klaus examined him for a moment, then picked the notebook up out of his lap and turned the page.

"I cannot draw the way you can, so I must borrow your hand."

Klaus placed his hand against Ichabod's forehead. Ichabod's eyes closed and he looked as though he were in a trance. His body relaxed completely except for his hand, which was busily sketching a drawing that took up the entire page. As soon as Ichabod "woke up", they had a very well drawn map with directions written in small print.

Dawn examined it. It was a mission that would probably take at least three hours, give or take, maybe longer. During his trance, Ichabod had also sketched things she needed to avoid along the way and written what to do if she encountered those things.

Klaus looked over her shoulder. He remembered that area all too well. It had been where he'd been revived. Despite the fact that he'd had no head, he could still see it. The images were very sketchy as though he'd been imagining it from someone else's description, but he still remembered it.

"What can I do?" Klaus asked.

"You have the most important job," Katrina told him, "you have to teach her how to handle the sword. She needs to kill Mary in one stroke or she'll have too much time to call on more dark spirits to help her."

Klaus nodded.

"I will."

He went into the stable. Daredevil pricked his ears and gave a questioning look. As Klaus fished around where the rear wall met a patch of loose earth, he told Daredevil of all that was going on.

_I can go with her,_ Daredevil offered.

"I cannot ask that of you. It is bad enough that Dawn insists on going," Klaus said, his fingers bumping against the object in question. He withdrew a long, slender wooden box.

_I'm an animal,_ Daredevil reminded him, _I'm still immortal. I can go in and out of these realms whenever I want, not that I have a reason to. Katrina's spell didn't affect me. She'll get the job done faster if I go._

Klaus flipped the lid off of the box and withdrew the sword.

"I will ask her," he sighed.

The handle of the weapon felt strangely cold in his hand. He needed to make sure Jaegar and Hanne didn't find this or they could seriously hurt themselves. That blade was still awfully sharp. It was as though it had turned magical once his own blood had touched it. The blade never needed sharpening even after he had been made mortal again.

Dawn was waiting for him. By the time he'd made it back to the house, Klaus had also retrieved his armor. At some point in time, he'd mended the weak spot that had caused him to have a gut stab. It would be nearly impossible to penetrate.

The sword was almost longer than Dawn's whole arm and it was blatantly obvious that the armor wouldn't come close to fitting her. It was too flat in the chest area (obviously) and awkwardly large in the shoulders. He vowed to have some custom-made for her.

Patiently, Klaus adjusted her grip on the sword. His hand over hers, he tried to get her used to the movements. The sword seemed heavy for Dawn even though she was used to carrying around their children. Maybe it was just because it was a weapon.

By the time Jaegar and Hanne came home from school, Dawn was really tired and both arms ached from the exercise. She was so tired that she didn't really care what John tried to do to her because she was tired. Somehow, she made it through the evening and found herself tucked in next to Klaus. Almost instantly, she was out.

She woke a few hours later when she felt a hand running down her back. Dawn didn't even open her eyes. She tried to ignore it, but the relentless hand wouldn't stop. Knowing full well it was John, Dawn shifted slightly so that her legs were crossed and continued to ignore his touch. The exhaustion even overshadowed Lady Van Tassel's spell. Angry that he'd had no effect on her, John left in a huff.

_Maybe if I just stay really tired all the time, he can't do anything,_ she thought.

She began knitting together a plan.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6...Tiger's Eyes

The blacksmith couldn't figure out for the life of him why Dawn needed armor, but Ichabod offered him a generous sum and he didn't keep asking. After an all-day affair, Dawn had a custom-fitted chain mail shirt. Collectively, she gathered up a pair of leather gloves, calf-length boots, and a wide belt. Underneath, she would wear a thin long-sleeved black shirt and black trousers. While Ichabod and Klaus were distracted, Dawn whispered something to the blacksmith and promised him more money for his trouble. She would come and collect the secret thing soon enough.

The object in question was a specially made mask. It was made of metal, but it would be good protection. It was shaped like a tiger's head and it was roaring. Dawn would be able to see through its open mouth, but the tiger's muzzle would keep anyone from seeing her eyes unless they were bending down to look. She could also lift it slightly to eat or drink and would still be able to see

She hid the mask in her old school bag that she hadn't used in ages.

By now, the leaves were starting to turn and All Hallow's Eve was eminent. The training sessions with the sword got harder and longer, but Dawn didn't complain. Klaus was doing his level best to be patient, but he occasionally slipped and scolded her. She endured it without being hurt or angry because she knew he was worried about her. Klaus did not express worry very well. It seemed as though Dawn wasn't improving much.

The blade was smacked out of her hand for what seemed like the millionth time. Klaus drew a deep sigh as Dawn picked it up. He was using an older sword that someone had lent him. He insisted that she use his because she needed to get used to it.

Dawn looked up at him. He was staring off into the woods, watching the brightly colored leaves fall. Orange, yellow, red, and brown swirled around them against a surrealistic blue sky with no clouds. Everything seemed much too cheerful.

The expression on his face made her want to cry. He looked helpless, defeated. He looked as though he'd already lost her and she was still standing right in front of him. Giving up was not characteristic of Klaus.

As suddenly as it started, Klaus snapped out of his reverie and raised his sword again.

_I've got to keep trying harder,_ Dawn thought, _I can't let him and my children down._

Dawn blocked him two or three times. Trying not to stop moving, she ducked in and out of the range of his blade. Klaus watched her carefully, trying not to injure her. She was forcing him to back up, which happened once in a while, but rarely.

Quite suddenly, Klaus was laying amongst all of the pretty fall leaves on his back. Stunned, he had no earthly idea what had just happened. His sword was laying a few feet away, just out of arm's reach. Dawn stood over him with his trusty sword quivering over his throat. He grinned and Dawn let him up.

"I only got you because you weren't paying attention," Dawn warned him, "you were so busy trying to trip me that you didn't block me."

Klaus laughed and the sound resonated through the trees.

"At least I cannot say I've taught you nothing," he told her, pulling her into an embrace, "that was a good move."

He retrieved the fallen sword and they started sparring again. Dawn, having made victory once, was fighting with a renewed energy. Ichabod had approached the house and was watching with interest.

CLANG! The swords banged together several times. He leaned against a tree. Klaus moved in to disarm Dawn, but she held on, surprisingly, and knocked his blade out of the way. Dawn moved behind him and before he could register where she'd gone, Dawn knocked him off balance and disarmed him. Klaus landed on his knees, sword flying off to land in a pile of leaves. Ichabod was clapping.

"I always secretly hoped to see you defeated," Ichabod teased as Klaus got to his feet.

Ignoring him for the moment, Klaus looked at Dawn in surprise.

"It's a woman thing," she admitted, "we don't fight good face to face, so we get into deception and hitting from the back."

"Hmmm." Klaus decided not to comment.

"Katrina has asked that you join us," Ichabod said, "she wants to discuss Dawn's journey."

Klaus and Dawn both sheathed their swords.

"I could use a break," Dawn admitted, "I'm feeling a little winded."

They followed Ichabod up to the house.

Katrina was there. Dried herbs littered the kitchen counter and she had a large worn-looking book open in front of her.

"There you are," she commented, "the spell is almost ready for tomorrow night. Will you be ready?"

"Yes," Dawn said quickly, although she felt as though she'd never be ready.

"I will send you through the portal at midnight. That's when the barrier becomes the thinnest. If you have anything you want to do before then, I suggest you do it soon. You will need to take food and water with you in case it takes longer for me to pull you back than I anticipate. And..."

She looked as though she was having trouble finding the words.

"There's a chance I may not come back," Dawn finished for her.

"Yes, unfortunately. The spell isn't foolproof. I'll do the best I can, but..."

"Just tell me what else there is," Dawn demanded, cutting her off.

"I will give you this," Katrina said, holding out a pendant, "it will keep the other beings from trying to possess you or harm you, but the chain must remain intact. If it leaves your neck for any length of time, you will be vulnerable. It doesn't make you immortal, but it will protect you considerably."

Dawn fastened the pendant around her neck. It was shaped like a crescent moon and was made of a beautiful white stone.

"You will also need this," Katrina said, giving her a ring, "if you hold it in the palm of your hand, the stone will turn whichever way my stepmother is and it will glow more brightly when you get close to her."

Dawn slid the ring on her finger. The ring wasn't glowing now, but she could only imagine what it would look like once it did; the stone was a bright purple.

"At midnight tomorrow night, you will need to go to the clearing where the Tree of the Dead once stood with all of your armor on. I will send you through. To call me, press the stone of the ring against the pendant around your neck."

"What are these?" Dawn asked, pointing to three small glass bottles on the table.

Katrina held up the first one, which had a dark blue liquid.

"This one will keep you from feeling tired," she said, "but be warned that it won't keep you from needing sleep. You just won't feel it."

She held up a dark red bottle, "this one will keep you from feeling hunger, but you will still need to eat eventually. And this last one, " (a green bottle), "will keep you from feeling thirsty, but you still need to take water with you. Each lasts as long as you are on the Other Side."

Dawn took the bottles.

"I suggest that the two of you spend some time together," Katrina said, giving Dawn and Klaus an almost sad look.

As they walked home, Dawn and Klaus didn't say much to each other. His hand slipped around hers and squeezed it.

"It's still kind of warm for fall," Dawn said, "why don't we go to the lake? Katrina said she'd take the kids for the afternoon."

The lake looked like something out of a storybook. The air was completely still and the lake mirrored the surroundings perfectly. It was only disturbed when a leaf fell on the surface, blurring it slightly. Dawn took off her dress and draped it over a tree branch. Deciding that no one else was likely to come by, she stripped everything else off, too. She was in the water before Klaus was even halfway done. He didn't see where she went and was puzzled to find himself alone. Wading into the water, he called, "Dawn?"

He was quite surprised when something pounced on him. As soon as he surfaced again, spluttering and protesting, a grinning Dawn appeared in front of him.

"I'm getting good at sneaking up on you!"

She swam away, her laugh echoing around them. Klaus gave chase.

Even though he was mortal, Klaus could still hold his breath for a very long time. He dove under the water, searching for her. A pair of chubby woman-legs led him to her. He grabbed her and yanked her under the water. She struggled for a moment before playfully hitting his shoulder.

They swam, splashed, chased each other, and sat beneath the waterfall, letting the rapidly flowing water cool their skin. Klaus pulled her into his lap. His normally messy hair was flattened by the waterfall and gently framing his pale face. Dawn's was falling in loose curls that completely straightened temporarily when they were completely soaked. Her dark eyes were filled with light despite the dangerous mission she was going on.

They both slid back into the water where the current was very slow and it was just deep enough that Dawn's toes touched the bottom and it came up to her neck. Klaus pulled her closer to him. When she kissed him, he responded eagerly. The sensation of warm skin and cool water mixing together was mind-blowing. They joined together in the water. Both of them allowed their feet to leave the soft sandy bottom of the lake. The sensation of coming together and floating freely was like nothing Dawn and Klaus had ever experienced.

Slowly, the world slid back into focus. Both were struggling to catch their breath.

_Not only do we have a great memory of that clearing, _Dawn thought, _we're going to have a pretty good memory of this lake, too._

She was shivering slightly. Klaus looked up at the sun. It was beginning to set.

"We should go home," he told her, "Jaegar and Hanne will be expecting us as well as Ichabod and Katrina."

Dawn suddenly remembered that they would all be having dinner together. They swam side by side to the shore. She wrung her hair out and dried herself off with one of the towels that they'd brought. Klaus had the other one. With a slight degree of hesitance, they got dressed, still flushed slightly in the face and still grinning ear-to-ear about their afternoon.

Hanne and Jaegar ran to greet them when they came up to the manor. They'd been playing with Jasmine, so they'd also had a great time.

Dinner was an unusually quiet affair. No one except for the children really talked much. Katrina looked a little nervous, though she hid it well. Ichabod was downright overwhelmed and looked as though he would faint if someone mentioned tomorrow night. Klaus was silent and moody like an impending thunderstorm, and Dawn's heart ached for them all.

That evening, Dawn let the children stay up later than usual and she and Klaus both played with them. They took extra time telling stories and getting them to bed.

Dawn settled into Klaus's arms. She stayed awake for a long time, just taking in the man beside her. She was extra attentive to every breath he took and the beat of his heart. For once, John did not come in and try to wreck it. Maybe he knew she was coming. Maybe he was just bored with the whole affair. Feeling decidedly peaceful, Dawn drifted off to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7...The Descent.

A/N: The lyrics in this chapter are "Her Eyes" by Pat Monahan. Wow, I'm not getting many reviews. Thanks to Warriorsgirl664 for reading and reviewing hugs

"I want her! I want her NOW!" John pouted, pacing back and forth.

"Calm yourself," Mary barked, "she'll be here soon enough. Turns out, she doesn't want the foolish Hessian down here, so she will come down here. Once we get her out of the way, the bond that protects the Hessian and his children as well as Ichabod and Katrina will die. They are only alive now because of her love."

Despite John's evilness, he couldn't help but admire her.

"What will we do?" John asked Mary.

"We shall wait. And don't disturb the poor girl. I do love a good challenge, and she won't put up much of a fight being exhausted."

John made a face. Despite trying, he still hadn't managed to bed Dawn.

"Fine," he snapped.

Outside, he could sense the barrier beginning to thin. Clasping his hands together, he allowed fantasies of Dawn to fill his head.

_Her eyes, that's where hope lies.  
That's where blue skies  
Meet the sunrise.  
Her eyes, that's where I go   
When I go home. _

The sun began to set and it was the color of blood. The sun itself looked old and weak. Dawn sighed as she finished washing the dinner dishes. It was only a matter of time. She looked at Hanne and Jaegar. They had a story book and each one took up residence on a side of Klaus's lap. The children were practicing reading out loud for school. Each one read a different sentence and they were pointing at the pictures. Klaus was doing his best to pretend that nothing was wrong. Once in a while, he shot a worried glance at Dawn.

It was the first time she'd seen Klaus visibly shaken. She gave him a reassuring smile and put the last cup in the cupboard.

She lamented that she would have to tell them sooner or later. If she didn't, she would regret it. Sighing, she swept the kitchen floor and waited for them to finish their book.

When she came in, she knew that Klaus had already said something. She sent him a grateful look that quickly turned to sadness as both children bailed out of his lap and ran towards her with brimming eyes.

"You're not really going away, are you Mommy?" Jaegar pleaded.

"I'm afraid so," Dawn admitted, "but I won't be gone long."

"You don't need to go," Hanne told her, "you need to stay here with us!"

Dawn dropped to her knees and embraced both of them as they let loose in a torrent of tears. She was struggling not to cry herself.

"Listen to me," she said firmly, "if I don't go, something very bad might happen. I don't want to leave at all, but I have to protect both of you and your father. That's what mommies do."

She let them protest and shed their tears. Klaus had buried his face in his hands.

"I want you to promise me something," Dawn whispered to them. Looking up in all seriousness, they nodded.

"Take care of your dad. Be good for him and do what he says no matter how hard it is, okay? And listen to Ichabod and Katrina, too. It's very important."

"I promise," both of them answered in wavering voices.

"Don't forget that I love you all. Even if what's going on doesn't make sense now, it will later on."

They wouldn't give in for bedtime, so Dawn didn't even think of making them go to sleep. Instead, she instructed them to stay in the house and not to let anyone in but Klaus, Ichabod, or Katrina. Walking into the stables, she found Daredevil and Klaus there. Daredevil was already tacked up.

"Watch over them," she said to the animals. Daredevil grunted, indicating that he understood. He would if she didn't make it out.

Dawn changed her clothes and Klaus helped her get her armor on. Equipped with all the objects and potions Katrina gave her, she also put some dried meat and bread into her bag with two big bottles of water, and of course, the mask that Klaus didn't know she had. Finally, Klaus tucked his sword into the sheath that hung from her belt. Dawn had pulled her hair up into a tight bun to keep it from getting in the way.

"Be careful, mein Liebe," he whispered.

They walked to the clearing, Daredevil behind them.

Dawn's heart ached. An overwhelming sense of loneliness encased her even though Klaus's hand held her gloved one tightly.

_She doesn't know the word 'impossible'  
Don't care where I've been and doesn't care where we're goin' to.  
She takes me as I am, and that ain't easy.  
She's beautiful. So beautiful. _

He felt as though he was leading her to her death and it made him feel horribly guilty. He should be doing this, not her. She would see things down there that would traumatize her for life.

He glanced over at her. Dawn's armor and manner of dress hid her gender very well. It would be hard for them to tell which she was.

_And sometimes I think she's truly crazy.  
And I love it. _

Katrina and Ichabod were waiting for them in the clearing. Katrina had put a ward up around the tree's remains so that nothing could fly out and harm them. The pocket watch that Ichabod carried indicated 11:58.

Dawn turned to Klaus.

"I won't say don't worry about me because it's not possible," she said, "but I will tell you that no matter what happens, you've got to go on for your sake and the children's. Be strong for them. And remember that I love you and always will."

They shared one last kiss before Dawn climbed onto Daredevil's back. He stepped into the center of the ward, which was a circular formation of runes that Katrina had drawn and adorned with herbs.

11: 59. Katrina began to recite the spell. Dawn could hear almost every creature stirring in the woods.

_Please, God, take care of us. Please let this all work out for the best and please take care of them all. Amen._

The clouds overhead blotted out the 3 quarters moon and the stars making it very dark suddenly. The animals in the woods became silent. All that could be heard were the breezes and the guttering of the candles.

The wind suddenly blew the candles out.

Midnight.

The air around Dawn and Daredevil suddenly became scorching hot and steam rose from the ground. The earth began giving way under Daredevil's hooves and he fought to keep his balance. Flames shot up in a wall around them, bright, hot, and orange. Dawn blew a kiss to Klaus before he disappeared behind the wall of flame.

The earth caved beneath them and Dawn struggled not to scream. It seemed as though they fell forever through a cylinder of flames before hard ground came up to meet them.

Klaus watched them disappear with a mixture of fascination and horror. When the gap had closed, he wandered over to the steaming ground. It was still very hot and he flinched, withdrawing his slightly burned finger. A tear fell and hissed on the scorching ground.

Ichabod moved forward to get him away from the burnt-out spot, but Katrina stopped him.

"Let him have a moment," she whispered.

Klaus had never felt so lonely. It drained him until he felt hollow inside. An overwhelming sense of grief filled him. Shaking violently, he wrapped his arms around himself feeling quite chilled.

Feeling numb, he slowly rose from the spot. Ichabod and Katrina walked with him back to the house. Upon opening the door, both Jaegar and Hanne clung to him, begging to be picked up and held. He knelt in front of them, hugging them both tightly.

He insisted he would be okay although Katrina and Ichabod did not believe him. That night, Klaus was grateful that Dawn made him share some of the responsibilities; it helped to know that he could get them ready for bed. It didn't take much; they knew to behave and not struggle.

For the first time in what seemed like forever, he lay in the middle of the bed by himself. Sighing, he stared at the moon outside and couldn't get to sleep.

"Daddy?" a voice asked from the doorway. He sat up so he could see. Hanne and Jaegar stood there, looking like little white ghosts in the dark from their nightclothes.

"Can we sleep with you tonight?" Hanne asked, her voice trembling. Klaus held his arms out and she dragged Jaegar with her. He was crying. Moments later, they'd situated themselves on either side of Klaus. He supposed he wouldn't sleep, but amazingly, he did. He dreamed that he, the children, and Dawn were in a place that no one could ever touch them, a place that was peaceful and free of the evil down below.

_Her eyes, that's where hope lies.  
That's where blue skies  
Always meet the sunrise.  
Her eyes, that's where I go  
When I go home. _


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: The song in this chapter is called "Come Home Soon" by SheDaisy.

Chapter 8

The landing was a lot harder than was comfortable. Despite having only just arrived, Dawn was beginning to perspire. She immediately reached into her backpack and pulled on her tiger mask so that she wouldn't be recognized. Through the tiger's mouth, she could see perfectly even though it shielded her eyes from anyone who would try to look her in the face. She also immediately drank the potions Katrina had given her so that her body wouldn't slow her down.

"The question is, where do we start," she said out loud to Daredevil. She took a good look around.

The sky was dark red like old blood. A hot yellow moon hung in the sky, like a giant eye that was watching her. Pools of lava were everywhere and the air stunk of brimstone. There were also flames everywhere.

"I guess my pastor wasn't lying," Dawn admitted. Suddenly, a large black dog appeared over a nearby hill. Dawn disliked dogs intensely, but this one gave her the creeps. It had bright orange eyes. Daredevil snorted warily.

She removed the ring from her gloved hand and held it in her palm. The ring began to glow slightly and it turned itself in her palm until the stone was facing west.

"Go that way," Dawn said, pointing. Daredevil obeyed.

Everything was so bizarre here. Along the way, she saw some things that genuinely disturbed her. There was one man who was engulfed in flames like a living torch. There was a woman whose head bent at an unnatural angle. When she turned, part of her backbone jutted out of her neck. There were several others with horrible injuries, but some of them looked quite normal. And then-Dawn shuddered- there was the man that had once tried to rape her when Klaus had intervened. His body was sliced in half and held together with chains. In between them, his insides occasionally poked out. Dawn resisted the urge to get sick, grateful that she had her mask on and hoped he wouldn't pay any attention to her. He didn't. He was trying to put the move on a witch-looking woman who apparently loved to eat in her former life. In some places, there were bizarre, twisted, dead trees. Their branches stretched to the sky like bony fingers. Various creatures, mangled, disfigured, and ugly. Despite her earlier sweating, she shivered uncomfortably.

The ring's glow did not change. They traveled for what seemed like forever, each creature they passed more horrible than the last. Dawn felt as though they'd been traveling for hours. Katrina had warned her that time passed differently down here. She wondered how much time had passed on earth.

_I put away the groceries  
And I take my daily bread  
I dream of your arms around me  
As I tuck the kids in bed_

Klaus had endured his burden as silently as possible. He didn't know how to braid Hanne's hair, so he just brushed it out for her and left it down. He didn't know much about cooking, so Ichabod and Katrina generously lent one of their kitchen maids. He managed to do everything else with a little bit of difficulty. Fortunately, neither of the children were complaining...yet. They did constantly ask when Dawn was returning.

_And I sleep alone  
I cry alone  
And it's so hard livin' here on my own  
So please, come home soon  
(Come home soon)  
_

She was only supposed to be gone for a short time, but Dawn had been gone for a week. Katrina had apologized profusely to him, saying that she'd forgotten about time being so different. Klaus had mumbled forgiveness, but he was still irritated. He could have kicked himself for forgetting to tell Dawn that.

"Daddy! Daddy, wake up!"

Hanne was shaking Klaus awake late one night. He mumbled and rolled over.

"Daddy!"

Her sharp tone got his attention and he sat up.

"Something's wrong with Jaegar. He's been sick all over his bed."

Right on cue, retching could be heard from the other room. Klaus resisted the strong urge to swear and followed her inside.

The mess was pretty big. Jaegar moaned and clutched his stomach. His night clothes were soaked in perspiration and vomit. When Klaus picked him up, he was burning hot. Jaegar gagged again, but nothing came out, which Klaus was grateful for.

Hanne had not waited for instructions. She retrieved some clean undergarments, a clean nightgown, and a wet rag to clean her brother up with.

"Thank you," Klaus said gratefully. He cleaned his son up and changed him.

1. "Ich sollte den Arzt bekommen," Klaus mumbled. Recently, Sleepy Hollow had gotten a new doctor, Doctor Wilson. He'd proved himself exceptionally capable and no one had died in his care yet. Klaus grabbed a clean blanket and wrapped Jaegar in it.

"Ich werde zurückkehren, Aufenthalt hier, im Falle dass ich jemanden für Sie sende."2.

Despite the fact that Klaus spoke mostly English these days, he had taught both of his children German and she understood him perfectly. Klaus tended to speak German more when something had upset him. She nodded and Klaus hurried out the door. The doctor's house was a short distance away and he could walk there. Holding his son carefully, he went tearing down the hill.

Hanne watched her father's retreating back. Tears filled her eyes. She hoped he would be back soon. Sighing, she turned to the mess that her brother had made. Tying a handkerchief around her face so that she couldn't smell, she went to work stripping the soiled linen off of the bed and emptying the chamber pot.

"Mommy would take care of us if she were here," Hanne sighed. A large tub filled with water stood outside. She shook the bedding out the best she could and tossed it into the tub. Dawn often used it to do laundry and she'd had Hanne and Jaegar help her at times. Before she got started on washing, Hanne put clean sheets on Jaegar's bed so that he'd have a place to sleep when he got back. She also put one of the spare quilts on the bed and fluffed his pillow.

"All better."

She scrubbed away the invading puddles from the floor and opened the window to let the room air out.

Washing clothes by herself was different than helping Dawn. The wet sheets were heavy and hard to wring out really good. She couldn't reach the clothesline at all, so she had to make do with slinging the sheet over the line, then smoothing it out by pulling the edges. By the time she was done, she was exhausted. Sunrise came and Klaus had still not returned.

Hanne sighed. Her head ached from being tired. She lay down on the sofa and waited. Eventually, she fell into an exhausted slumber.

Klaus stood at the foot of the bed. His son was sleeping fitfully, but at least he'd stopped throwing up. The doctor was mixing up something in a glass bottle.

"When he wakes up, give him a spoonful of this," Doctor Wilson said, "give it to him every two hours. His fever should break soon."

Klaus took the bottle, then gathered up his sleeping son. His own body felt heavy and his eyes burned from lack of sleep.

_Dawn, where are you?_ he wondered.

_I still imagine your touch  
It's beautiful missing something that much  
But sometimes love needs a fighting chance  
So I'll wait my turn until it's our turn to dance_

When he finally made it back to the house, his heart ached to see Hanne asleep on the sofa. As he went towards the children's bedroom, something white outside the window caught his attention. He turned to see the sheets hung on the clothesline. Poor Hanne. He had to remember to thank her when she woke up.

It was a Wednesday, but he didn't have the heart to send Hanne to school and Jaegar couldn't go anyway. Carefully, he shifted Jaegar to one arm and pulled the covers back for him. Then, he lay him in bed and tucked him in. Satisfied that his son would be all right for a moment, he gathered up Hanne and tucked her into her own bed. He kissed them both gently on the foreheads.

"Meine kleinen, where is your mother?" 3

He sat in the rocking chair between the two beds and watched them sleep. It wasn't long before Klaus's head slumped and he was engaged in a fitful sleep.

Dawn had tried to ration her water and bread, but neither had gone very far. Her clothes felt loose on her and she'd actually stopped sweating. Despite the fact that she didn't feel tired, she did feel weak. Just when she thought that things weren't going to change, the ring suddenly glowed brightly.

"Here it goes," Dawn mumbled, noting that her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. That was when she noticed the Gothic-looking manor.

"Of course. Why wouldn't it be the mansion?" Dawn groaned.

Daredevil gave a snort as though agreeing with her. She stopped him and he turned to look at her. Dawn stroked his head affectionately.

"Listen, in case I don't make it, I want to thank you for sticking with me. Tell Klaus and our babies that I love them. If you can, protect them for me."

She leaned forward and hugged his neck.

"Let's do this."

_I walk alone  
I try alone  
I'll wait for you, don't want to die alone  
So please, come home soon  
Come home soon  
Come home soon_

Translations:

I should get the doctor.

I will return. Stay here in case I send someone for you.

My little ones.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Lyrics: Carry You Home By James Blunt.

Chapter 9...Carry You Home

_Trouble is her only friend and he's back again.  
Makes her body older than it really is.  
She says it's high time she went away,  
No one's got much to say in this town.  
Trouble is the only way is down.  
Down, down_

Dawn had never been so scared in her life. Images of her life, first the old life that she'd lived in the future, then her life with Klaus, Ichabod, Katrina, Ann, and the children. Her heart thundered against her chest and she'd begun to sweat coldly.

_I'm doing this for all of them,_ she thought, _if I don't do it, they're all in danger. I'm going to have to hurry this up or I'll die down here and be stuck with these nasty things._

The thought was a horribly terrorizing one. She shuddered as they approached the house. As they were nearing it, a familiar voice startled Dawn. A pale had grabbed Daredevil's reins to stop him.

"Hello, love. Come back for a visit?"

John.

Dawn cringed inwardly, seeing the bullet hole in his head. It still glistened with old blood.

"Yes, I know it's you beneath that mask. The Lady suspects you'll be arriving soon, but she doesn't know you're here yet. Shall I tell her?"

Dawn's hand gripped the sword. John was too busy gloating to notice. He ran his hand along her leg, his touch singing her. She withdrew the sword.

_This is it, you bastard. You're going to get what I always wanted to do to you._

John only saw a flash before he had a nasty gut-wrenching pain. Klaus's sword slit him open from neck to navel.

"All right, you piece of ! Where is she?"

"In the basement," John gasped, pointing as he lay on the rocky ground, "the door's a trapdoor under a rug by the stairs. You can't miss it."

Dawn lifted her mask.

"John? Thanks."

She kissed him on the cheek, then pulled the mask back down.

"There is one more thing I've been meaning to do, though."

Dawn swung the sword again. John screamed in terror as the blade came down between his legs.

"That's from my husband."

Dawn climbed back on Daredevil.

"He said he'd have done it himself, but he's not here," Dawn called as she rode away. John went dizzy before unconsciousness claimed him.

She slid off of Daredevil and approached the manor with a growing nausea despite having not eaten anything. The Hellhounds gathered around her, but they shied away upon seeing her sword. She was about to lift the trapdoor when footsteps told her she wasn't alone.

"Looking for something?"

Dawn's blood froze in her veins. Standing mere inches away from her was Lady Van Tassel.

_That little brat lied to me!_ Dawn thought irritably.

"You didn't think he'd actually tell you the complete truth, did you? John's a fool, but he's not completely stupid."

Mary snapped her fingers and Dawn was instantly surrounded by Hellhounds.

"Holy !" Dawn cursed.

"Hellhounds make lovely guard-dogs," Mary said with an air of boredom, "but do be careful, they haven't eaten in an eternity. Mortal flesh is a delicacy to them."

"So why didn't they eat you?" Dawn asked, swiping at one who crept towards her.

"Because I control them."

In an instant, the dogs were upon Dawn, snapping at her and trying to bite her. She swung her sword, beheading two and injuring a couple more. Mary watched as though it were a theater show. The dogs' corpses lay in heaps in the floor. Dawn was shaking badly from adrenaline.

"Very good. I see he taught you well. I've been meaning to clean house for a while now."

Dawn advanced towards her.

"Can't you just let us be? I had nothing to do with all this and neither did my children."

"But your husband did. He, my dratted stepdaughter, and that weakling Ichabod. Why should I leave you out of the fun?"

She snapped her fingers and Dawn was surrounded by flames. Dawn drew in a deep breath and ran straight through them. It didn't catch her clothes, thank God, but it turned her brand new armor black. Lady Van Tassel escaped out the door. Dawn leapt over the banister, clumsily catching her foot and falling. She landed very ungracefully and staggered to her feet, more dizzy than anything. She tore after her captor.

With horror, she realized that John was rematerializing. His spilled insides began to knit back together. For added measure, she swiped at his corpse with the sword before turning her attention to Lady Van Tassel.

The ground began to shake and a crevice filled with lava appeared. Lady Van Tassel lifted her hand to her mouth with an exaggerated yawn. Daredevil whinnied at Dawn and she climbed on his back. He easily leapt across the crevice. Despite being re-injured, John had risen again and was grinning a macabre grin. Blood oozed from his mouth as though he were a vampire. Dawn was too busy chasing Mary to notice him.

A black dragon appeared overhead, shrieking an ungodly sound. It blew its flame breath at Dawn. She dodged it (narrowly). It was flying too low, however, and was not big enough to be a threat. Dawn flung the sword at it, piercing its great big belly. It screamed and fell. Dawn wrenched Klaus's sword out of its gut, shaking away the thick green blood. From all over the place, things were coming. Dawn was soon surrounded by dozens of hideous creatures.

"You cannot possibly win, my dear," Lady Van Tassel told her, "I am too powerful. And John wants to discuss some things with you."

Dawn yelped when she was knocked sideways off of Daredevil. John stood over her.

"Hello, my sweet," he said huskily, eyes glowing red before he pressed his lips to hers. Dawn grimaced and pulled away. Swiping at him with her sword, she managed to knock him away although he got a very minor cut. The other creatures began moving in towards them.

_As strong as you were, tender you go.  
I'm watching you breathing for the last time.  
A song for your heart, but when it is quiet,  
I know what it means and I'll carry you home.  
I'll carry you home._

_Dear God, if I survive this, I'll be very fortunate. Please, oh, please God, help me! Please don't let me be stuck down here with THEM! Please God, at least forgive me for anything I've done wrong!_

John had developed superhuman strength thanks to Mary. He wrenched the sword out of Dawn's grasp and pinned her arms to her sides.

"It's over, my love."

Dawn was almost going to agree with him when a flash of white light appeared in the center of the ring. A glowing white man, completely naked except for a pair of huge white wings and a glowing golden ring around his head appeared. Dawn's jaw dropped. The others looked dumbfounded, then they all began to back away.

The man stepped forward and studied the sword with interest. In his hand, he held a sword, too, but it was flaming.

"Release her," he told John firmly. John hissed and pulled Dawn closer to him.

"Release her now."

Furious, John did what he was told. The glowing man stepped forward and picked up Dawn's sword. He held it up to her and she took it gratefully.

"You're an angel, aren't you?" Dawn asked. The man nodded. He was young, powerful, and muscular. His eyes were the color of a summer sky and his hair was the color of sunlight.

"Gabriel, to be exact. You were never alone. As you made your descent to this place, I was with you, invisible."

"Now that we all know each other," Lady Van Tassel drawled, "shall we get on with this?"

Gabriel leaned in to whisper in Dawn's ear.

"You have to make this work," he whispered, "you have to believe, but for your sake, I shall make this a fair fight."

He held out both hands and every demon around them save John and Mary disappeared immediately. Gabriel rose into the air to watch.

_If she had wings she would fly away,  
And another day God will give her some.  
Trouble is the only way is down.  
Down, down._

Dawn attacked John first. With a clean slice, she cut him right in half. Daredevil reared on his hind legs and crashed down onto John's halves with the front ones. Dawn went after Lady Van Tassel.

Two fire spells, a freezing spell, a weakening spell, and a pain spell (which Dawn was still fighting) later, they both stood facing each other, panting.

"You surprise me," Lady Van Tassel said, "if only we were on the same side."

Dawn's sword swung and caught her by surprise. It gouged deep into her chest, momentarily stunning her. Dawn stabbed again, but only managed to tear her dress. A third time and Dawn gasped when she was staring at the inside of Lady Van Tassel's neck. Her head had landed some distance away.

Dawn quickly hopped on top of Daredevil's back. She touched the moon pendant to the ring. Gabriel congratulated her. She cringed when she noticed that Lady Van Tassel's body was already starting to knit back together as well as John's. The Hellhounds were approaching, ravenous growls being heard all around.

"WHY ISN'T THIS WORKING?!" Dawn howled in frustration.

_And they were all born pretty in New York City tonight,  
And someone's little girl was taken from the world tonight,  
Under the Stars and Stripes._  
Gabriel wrapped his arms around her. She suddenly felt so weak, so drained. Then, she noticed a bad cut deep in her shoulder blade. She wasn't sure how it happened, but it had been bleeding profusely for a long time.

"Gabriel, please help me!" she begged. The angel gave her a look of sympathy.

"I want to," he said slowly, "but you have sinned by intervening with forces that you weren't supposed to manipulate. No human has ever gone to Heaven or Hell alive and made it back out."

Dawn groaned. The world was beginning to darken and blur. She felt a nasty sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach.

"So, this is it," she slurred, "Gabriel, take me home."

She slumped in his arms moments before he and the world around her and Daredevil disappeared and melted into blackness.

_As strong as you were, tender you go.  
I'm watching you breathing for the last time.  
A song for your heart, but when it is quiet,  
I know what it means and I'll carry you home.  
I'll carry you home._


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

A/N: So sorry about this taking so long, it's been a very hard month. My room has had electrical issues and the internet shut off over Spring Break. I've also had papers to write and other things to contend with. As usual, please read and review and tell me if you think I could add something else to this story or if this needs to be the ending.

Chapter 10

A sharp sting and the scent of burning flesh definitely got her attention. Dawn screamed and tried to fight off whatever was attacking her wounded shoulder. Someone pinned her flailing arms down and put a cold rag against her head.

"Shhh, mein Liebe," a familiar voice said. She felt her shoulder being bandaged. Slowly, she opened her eyes.

"Ohh..." she groaned, "what happened?"

"We found you in the woods," Ichabod said as he wound a cloth bandage around her shoulder, "the wound wouldn't stop bleeding, so we had to use Klaus's sword to cauterize it."

"Oh...hey, wait a minute! I'm not dead!" Dawn realized.

"No, thank God," Katrina said.

"How did I get back?"

"You called me, remember?" Katrina asked.

"I remember wondering why it didn't work," Dawn said.

"I had to open the portal. It was the strangest thing," Katrina said, "you were still on Daredevil's back and there was a glowing white man behind you. He disappeared a second after the flames died down. He said something about you deserving another chance, then he placed his hand over your heart."

"Gabriel," Dawn remembered, "he came to help me after I prayed. All these other things were coming in when I was fighting with Mary and John. He chased them away."

It was only then that she became aware of Klaus's presence. He'd been sitting on the other side of the bed. She held her good arm up to him and he hugged her gently.

"What day is it?" she asked. Right on cue, she heard singing coming from outside.

"It's Christmas morning," Katrina said, "you were gone for almost two months."

Dawn groaned.

"Really? It seemed like a lot longer than that. I missed you all so much, I didn't think I was ever going to get out of there! The place has a way of making you forget that you once had a life," she complained.

Klaus didn't respond, but his touch told her that he remembered that feeling.

"Well, ah, I'm sure you both have a lot to talk about," Ichabod said, "we shall be downstairs. It's still quite early and the children are still asleep. They don't know you're back yet."

He and Katrina left. Dawn turned to Klaus.

"Man, that was close," Dawn admitted, "I thought I was gone for sure."

She stared into Klaus's electric blue eyes, remembering how she'd been afraid she'd never see them again. Her hand stroked his face and his hair, assuring her that he was, indeed, real.

"So she is gone for good?" Klaus couldn't help asking.

"I'm pretty sure she is. I've taken her mortality and she can't come back here. She can't send John here either that I know of. I just hope Katrina was right. But I don't care about John or Katrina's stepmom right now."

She pressed her lips into Klaus's. He responded eagerly, drinking in the sudden joy that flooded him after weeks of hopelessness and heartache. When the kiss broke, Dawn pulled herself into Klaus's lap, grunting when she accidentally moved her injured shoulder.

"That's going to take some getting used to," Dawn complained, clutching it. She rested her head against Klaus's shoulder and basked in the feeling of his strong arms around her.

"I need a bath," Dawn laughed, seeing his face, "I probably still smell like brimstone."

Moments later, Ichabod and Masbeth came upstairs hauling a wooden tub.

"The maids will be here in a moment with the hot water," Ichabod told her.

"I guess the maids are too busy in the kitchen to leave the tub down there," Dawn said, "I smell turkey."

Right on cue, her stomach rumbled.

"God, it seems like I haven't eaten in forever."

Klaus left to get her something while the maids filled the tub. It was a little too warm for comfort at first, but Dawn soon got used to the temperature. She brushed all of the knots out of her hair, then dipped her head under the water to wet it. Klaus came back in with some warm bread and hot tea. She took the bread and wolfed it down quickly, relieved that Klaus didn't tell her to slow down. He knelt behind her as she sipped the hot tea and massaged the soap into her hair. Dawn set the cup of tea on a nearby chair and leaned her head back.

"Can't complain," Dawn mumbled, "nice to have all the attention."

Klaus grinned.

"I can't wait to see the kids again," Dawn said, using her good hand to wash the rest of her body, "I missed them so much."

"Hanne has been a great help," Klaus told her, "Jaegar's been sick. We do not know with what, but he is getting better now. Hanne does a lot without being told."

"Poor Hanne," Dawn commented, "I bet she'll be glad to be a kid again."

She was surprised when Klaus dumped a bucket of water over her head.

"Hey!"

"You are clean now," Klaus teased.

"Yeah. Now I need my bandages changed again," Dawn said, making a face, "I was trying not to get them wet."

He helped her dry off, surprised to see how much weight she'd lost. Her ribs were showing.

"We've had a new dress made for you," he said, "but it will be loose."

"I don't care," Dawn said, stepping into her undergarments, "it's better than it being too tight."

The dress was velvet red with gold trim. It had long sleeves and a fitted bodice. Klaus was right; it was a little bit loose, but Dawn didn't mind. She knew that with her appetite that she'd fill it out quickly enough. Even though the trim was bright and elaborate, the design of the dress itself was simple. Klaus helped her dry her wet hair and tie it back with a red ribbon.

"Don't know what I'd do without you," Dawn said affectionately as Klaus hugged her from behind.

"Ich habe Sie mehr vermisst, als Wörter sagen konnten. Verlassen Sie mich bitte wieder nicht."1.

"You couldn't get rid of me if you tried," Dawn responded. She turned to kiss him again.

"Let's go see our kids."

Dawn was still weak from loss of blood and nearly passed out the top of the stairs. She resisted Klaus's suggestion to lay down again, so he picked her up and carried her downstairs. Very carefully, he put her on the sofa. The Christmas tree wasn't far off. Dawn grinned, seeing it. It was lit with tiny candles and decorated with glass balls and red ribbons. The golden star sat crooked on top.

"Jaegar placed the star," Klaus said, "he was proud of it."

"As he should be," Dawn said, grinning. Presents were packed underneath that tree like sardines.

"I feel guilty," Dawn confessed, "I didn't get to do any Christmas shopping this year."

No one heard her, though, because two sets of footprints came thundering down the stairs.

"Why didn't you tell us it was Christmas?!" Jaegar demanded as Klaus's grin got bigger.

"You are the one that stayed up late," Klaus reminded him, "I can put you to bed, but I can't make you sleep. Go look in there."

He pointed. They both went tearing in, still in their nightclothes.

"MOMMY!" they both shouted, tackling her.

"Ouch! Careful of my shoulder," Dawn warned them as they pounced on her.

She was covered in little kid kisses and hugs and both were excitedly trying to tell her what happened while she was gone at once.

"We have presents, too," Hanne said, fishing around in the pocket of her nightdress, "here. This one's mine."

Dawn unwrapped the paper. It was a necklace that Hanne had made out of buttons tied together by string.

"Ooh, pretty."

Dawn slipped it over her head, which made Hanne grin excitedly.

"Here's mine," Jaegar said, handing her a drawing. There were four stick figures, too tall, one short, and three stick figure horses.

"That's Daredevil, Flash, and Starlight," he explained, "and there's Daddy, me, Hanne, and you."

She could tell them apart because stick-figure Klaus's hair was spiky and he held a stick-figure sword, stick-figure Hanne had braids, stick figure Jaegar was holding a teddy bear, and stick-figure Dawn had lots of curly hair.

"It's beautiful. We'll hang it in the living room when we get back home," Dawn told him.

The children dove into the Christmas presents. Klaus was about to say something, but Dawn took his hand and squeezed it.

"Let 'em," she told him, "they're only gonna be kids for a little while."

As the children were busy with their new toys, Jane, Emily, and Ann came in. All of the girls exchanged hugs.

Dawn examined George, Jane's baby. He was chubby and had a tooth coming in.

"You're getting big," Dawn cooed at him, tickling his chin. He smiled at her and waved his little hands around.

"Thought we'd take Katrina up on the invites," Ann said, "have a little family reunion now that you're back."

Dawn wondered if everyone in the world knew about her journey through Hell. She pushed that thought aside when the kitchen maid announced that Christmas dinner was ready.

Everyone was in a good mood and nobody commented on Dawn's monstrous appetite.

"So, Dawn, is there something you want to tell us?" Ann asked. Dawn stopped in the middle of wolfing down her third pile of turkey and mashed potatoes.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, dear, you have The Look."

Klaus actually caught on before Dawn did. When she finally figured it out, she flushed as red as her shirt.

"Oh! I hadn't noticed," Dawn admitted, "I haven't been sick once."

Klaus took her hand under the table and squeezed it. He suddenly felt guilty; he hadn't known Dawn was with child or he'd have never let her go. As if reading his thoughts, she leaned over to him and whispered "I didn't know either."

The day went by quickly. Dawn felt as though she blinked and Christmas was over. The children were carried upstairs to bed by Klaus and Ichabod (they didn't allow Dawn to do it with her injured shoulder).

"Goodnight, little ones," Dawn whispered, kissing them each on the forehead. Ichabod, Katrina, and Masbeth soon disappeared to their rooms. Dawn was left alone on the stairs. She wandered back down them to gaze out the window at the falling snow. A warm pressure from behind her told her she wasn't alone.

"Mein Liebe," he whispered, "you should be in bed."

"I don't want to go to bed yet," Dawn said, leaning back against him, "I might wake up and find this all a dream."

"No. You are home. I am real."

His breath stirred her hair. Even though she wasn't looking at him, she could feel his electric blue gaze on her. She leaned backwards against him and felt his strong arms tighten around her.

"I can't tell you how good it is to be home."

He buried his face in her hair, relishing the softness against his cheek.

"I remember when I first saw you here," he said, "you were so skeptical of everything, much like Ichabod. Then, we met."

Dawn chuckled.

"I can only imagine the face you probably made when I put my head in your lap."

His ribs shook with laughter against her back.

"You should have seen your expression when you woke."

"Yeah, and for once, YOU ran away."

They continued to reminisce until both of them couldn't stop yawning and finally went upstairs to bed, settling into each others' arms.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

_God, it's good to be home,_ Dawn thought as she kneaded the bread dough. Hanne and Jaegar were outside playing like they were supposed to be and Klaus was at work with Ichabod on this beautiful Saturday morning.

Hanne had been willing to help her mother, but Dawn, feeling guilty about her time away, had sent Hanne outside to play. Dawn's shoulder was aching badly and she was definitely ready for a break, but she decided she would get the bread in the oven first. A knock on the door got her attention. Thinking it might be Katrina, Dawn called out "Come in!"

Instead of Katrina, however, she was met with a friendly-looking old man that reminded her of her grandfather. He wore priest's robes and was carrying a Bible.

"Good morning, Ma'am, I am the new vicar for Sleepy Hollow. My name is Paul."

Dawn gestured to one of the chairs and he sat down while she placed the loaf of bread into the oven and wiped the flour on her apron.

"What can I do for you, Paul?" Dawn asked, pouring him a glass of iced tea. He gratefully took it and downed it in one gulp.

"Well, I just thought I would explore the neighborhood, get to know the people before tomorrow when I resume my duties. I heard your last vicar stirred up quite a scandal. I knew him. Shame, John was a promising young man."

Dawn didn't really want to talk about John, but she nodded politely, turning back to the counter.

"He ran into some trouble at the seminary," Paul continued, "I think he was much too interested in ladies to become a vicar. I do hope God's forgiven him wherever he is."

Dawn bit back the "don't count on it " comment and began to chop vegetables with a bit more force than was necessary. Paul frowned as she hacked away at the vegetables that she was going to put in the stew later.

"I also heard that he wouldn't allow you and your German man to get married," he said.

Dawn slammed the knife down so hard that it stuck into the cutting board.

"I thought we were married by common law!" she snarled, trying to wrench it loose.

Seeing that he'd touched a nerve, Paul paled.

"I don't mean to offend you, ma'am, I really don't. I was just going to offer my services and ask if you wanted a proper church marriage, that's all."

Dawn yanked the knife loose and turned to face him, flushing slightly as guilt overcame her.

"Sorry," Dawn apologized, "it's just that I don't have much experience with church and the ones I have had weren't good."

Paul gave her a smile, his friendly hazel eyes showing understanding.

"I know it isn't easy to try something again after you've been hurt," he said, "but I would never try to hurt you or your..."

"Husband," Dawn finished. She went back to chopping vegetables, unceremoniously plopping them into the pot of boiling meat and broth on the stove.

"Right. Your husband. Anyway, I would also be happy to baptize your children," Paul said.

Dawn frowned, but she was at least listening again.

"I know that you and your husband are as good as married right now anyway," he said, "you've endured seven years and two children. But wouldn't it be nice to be recognized as married in the eyes of the Holy Spirit and the Law?"

Dawn turned to face him again.

"How did you find out about us, anyway?"

"I've heard a lot of gossip since I moved here," Paul admitted, "but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong."

Dawn sighed again.

"You're not gonna be one of those preachers that breathes down my neck about how I live, are you?"

Paul shook his head.

"I assure you, good lady, I won't."

He seemed trustworthy enough, not at all like John.

"All right."

Dawn began to roll out a crust for a pie.

"Would you like to stay for lunch?" Dawn asked.

"I would, but I must be off," Paul said politely, "I have many more houses to visit. Will I see you in church tomorrow?"

"Maybe," Dawn said hesitantly.

He said goodbye to her and left.

Dawn's cheeks flamed as she attacked the crust with the rolling pin. She thought about all of the things that she'd done. How could she go into a church willingly after all that she'd done?

A flash of light appeared in the center of the kitchen.

"YOU!" Dawn shouted accusingly, pointing the rolling pin towards it.

Gabriel grinned.

"A woman with a rolling pin is frightening," he said sarcastically, "but not nearly as frightening as a woman with a kitchen knife."

"What are you doing here?"

The question was loaded with anger.

"You feel guilty," Gabriel said flatly, "I just came to assure you that you have nothing to be ashamed of."

The rolling pin fell on the counter with a THUNK!

"What?" Dawn asked, visibly confused.

"You did the best you could with your situation," Gabriel elaborated, "everyone makes mistakes. I came to tell you that you need to forgive yourself before my Master can forgive you."

With that, he disappeared. Dawn shook her head and began to place the crust into the pie plate.

The children came in to eat first, but Dawn insisted that they scrub the dirt off of their hands and faces before she let them go to the table. Just as Dawn was serving them, Klaus came in. He had a rag tied around his upper left arm and a small blood spot was forming.

"What happened?" Dawn asked, eyeing it with concern.

"We had to make an arrest," Klaus said dismissively, "Tristan gets quite aggressive when drunk. The-" he paused when he saw Dawn's stern look, "_idiot _had a knife. Thankfully, it's only a scratch."

Dawn insisted on looking at it before she'd let him eat. Once the medium-deep short gash was tended to, she placed a steaming bowl in front of him and he accepted gratefully. Dawn was half-finished with her own food when they heard a strange squeak.

"What was that?" Dawn wondered aloud. They heard it again. Klaus noticed Jaegar clasp his hand firmly over one of his pockets.

"Jaegar? Was verbergen Sie?" Klaus asked. 1

Jaegar opened his mouth to say "nothing", but his father's intense electric-blue stare destroyed the lie on his lips before it was even formed. He sighed and pulled the thing out, which was beginning to move and placed it in Klaus's open hand.

"Ein Kätzchen," Klaus commented, slowly opening his fingers so that Dawn could see. On his palm lay a tiny black and white kitten.

"Where did you find it?" Dawn asked Jaegar.

"Hanne and I were out in the woods and we found him all alone. Or, at least I think it's a boy," Jaegar admitted, turning red, "I wasn't sure."

Dawn stroked its tiny forehead.

"Poor baby," she murmured, "its eyes aren't even open."

"Can we keep him?" Hanne asked excitedly. Klaus thought he was the master of staring someone down, but his own electric-blue gaze was outmatched by his son's, and his daughter's dark chocolate eyes were just like Dawn's.

"Ask your mother," he mumbled, getting himself some more stew.

"Mom?"

Both children were wiggling in anticipation. Dawn gave Klaus a Look for passing the buck. He gave her a slight grin.

"Yes, you can keep him," Dawn said, "but on one condition."

She had taken the kitten since Klaus was getting more food.

"You have to be the ones to take care of him. That means feeding him, washing him, training him to do his business outside and cleaning up after him. He's YOUR cat."

Both children cheered. Dawn ate the last of her bread and retrieved some milk. She showed the children how to warm it up over the stove and how to check it on the insides of their wrists to see if it was too hot.

"The idea is to get it warm, not hot," Dawn explained to them, "cold milk will give him a tummy ache."

Very, very carefully, she fed the kitten milk with a teaspoon. It wasn't as easy as it looked and she made a mental note to ask Ichabod if he had something similar to an eyedropper tomorrow. Klaus looked on in amusement. After Dawn had fashioned a makeshift bed for the kitten with an old towel and a pasteboard box, she let the children go off by themselves to decide on a name for it.

"Having fun?" she asked as Klaus grinned. She unceremoniously plopped herself into his lap. He shifted slightly so that he could hold her more securely.

"You won't be smiling for long," Dawn teased, "guess who's changing the baby when he or she wakes up at some ungodly hour in the morning?"

That was enough to draw a shudder of disgust. Klaus had changed diapers plenty of times, but it definitely wasn't his favorite job.

"But," Dawn continued, drawing closer to him, "you'll get the other job back, too."

Her voice was suggestive enough to bring Klaus's smile back. He pressed his lips to hers, drawing in the sweetness.

"We're going to name him Tiger," Hanne announced, "look at his stripes!"

The kitten definitely had an unusual coloring. Instead of being tabby gray with stripes, it was white with black stripes.

"Sounds good," Dawn commented.

Klaus looked at the clock and sighed discontentedly.

"Mein Liebe," he said dejectedly, "I must get back to work."

"No," Dawn teased, burying her face in his shirt. She inhaled deeply, taking in his scent. Klaus gently pinched her in the ribcage, causing her to shriek with laughter. She was ticklish there.

"Fine," Dawn pouted, getting up, "but I'm gonna get you for that later!"

"Versprechen Sie mir?" he purred in Dawn's ear, trailing kisses down her neck. 2

"Yes."

She hugged him and watched as he walked out and got on Daredevil's back.

That evening, Dawn paced around in the living room. The children would have to be put to bed soon, but they wouldn't go to sleep without their Dad. Where WAS he? She was getting anxious. Klaus was always, ALWAYS home by dinner. She looked up at the sky and shuddered. The clouds were thick and ominous, blotting out the moon and stars completely. Thunder rumbled and she cringed. Dawn hated thunderstorms because the lightning scared her. She lit a candle and opened the door, holding it above her head so that she could see. Other than the impending thunder, it was eerily quiet.

"I don't like this one bit," Dawn complained to no one in particular.

"Where's Daddy?" Hanne asked anxiously.

"I don't know," Dawn admitted, "I want to go look for him, but I don't like the idea of leaving you and Jaegar here by yourselves."

She led them to Ichabod and Katrina's house. When she asked Ichabod of his whereabouts, Ichabod looked puzzled.

"No, he's not here. Didn't he come home hours ago?" Ichabod asked. Dawn shook her head, struggling not to tremble.

"I've been waiting for him, but he never came back."

Ichabod turned to Katrina.

"Watch the children. We're going to go find Klaus."

She nodded, taking the children by the hands and leading them inside.

Dawn retrieved Flash and Ichabod retrieved Starlight. They rode off into the night. Dawn's heart was pounding.

_God, if you're there, please don't let anything have happened to my husband,_ Dawn prayed.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

It seemed like hours. They searched everywhere, knocked on doors, asked people, and everything. Dawn was beginning to get a headache and she was slightly nauseated with worry.

"We've looked everywhere," Ichabod sighed, "I don't think he's anywhere here, Dawn."

Dawn's jaw tightened.

"Wait! I know one place we didn't look!" Dawn realized. She turned Flash towards the Western Woods.

About halfway in, Daredevil's neigh broke the monotony of clomping hooves. Dawn realized in horror that his saddle was empty.

"Show us where he is!" she shouted above the thunder, which was getting louder by the second. A drizzle had been falling, but now, real rain began to fall. Daredevil turned and took off, Flash right behind him.

They finally came to the clearing.

Klaus was kneeling in the sodden bed of leaves and staring at the burned-out spot where the tree had been. Dawn was off Flash's back in an instant and she ran, slipping slightly in the mud, toward him.

"Klaus, what are you doing out here? We have to get home!"

She tugged at his arm, but he was motionless.

"What's going on?" she asked him. Klaus's expression looked haunted, pained. It was a look she'd only seen one time; the night he showed her his memories.

"Klaus, talk to me," Dawn pleaded, a foreboding feeling creating blackness in her stomach.

"Ihr Geist. Der Geist von Hanne." _Her ghost. Hanne's ghost._

Dawn's blood turned to ice just as an unfamiliar voice spoke just inches from her ear.

"So, Klaus is married, is he? I'm sure the two of 'ya are quite happy together. I'm so glad he found 'ya, Dawn."

Dawn turned, barely clinging to consciousness. Ichabod had already succumbed, laying face-down in the mud.

A woman with bright red hair and blue eyes stood before her, a ghastly wound in her neck. She did not glow as most ghosts would in stories, but she floated, weightless, and was slightly transparent.

"Oh, please don' pass out! I didna mean to frighten 'ya!"

Dawn shook her head and rubbed her temples.

"This cannot be happening," she moaned.

"Well it is. Pay attention, for I cannot stay long," Hanne snapped. Dawn raised her head, her arms protectively around Klaus's shoulders.

"I was supposed to go to Heaven, but I couldn't until I proved myself," Hanne explained, "and I'm bein' called as we speak. But, I want to warn you before I cross over. There's goin' to be an army of raiders that will come into Sleepy Hollow in three days. You and Klaus are the only ones that can defend this place. I'm sorry to have frightened 'ya, but I had to tell someone. And my poor Klaus is in too much shock at the moment to take it in!"

Dawn gently massaged his shoulders.

"I'll take care of it," she said weakly.

Hanne stroked the side of Klaus's face. His eyes closed and a tear leaked out of one of them, sliding down his cheek.

"Verzeihen Sie mir bitte für die Unfähigkeit, Sie zu schützen!" 3

Klaus's voice sounded so sad, so scared. Dawn herself had to keep from crying.

"It's all right, my love. You had nothin' to do with it," Hanne told him, "it was not your fault and ya must stop blamin' yourself!"

Dawn felt very awkward in that moment. Hanne bent forward and kissed Klaus on the cheek.

"Forgive yerself," Hanne insisted, "you have a fine woman with ya! She needs yer strength, Klaus! Don't let her down! And don't let your twins down, and yer unborn daughter, either!"

Dawn's heart leapt. A daughter! She was having another girl!

Klaus looked up at her. Dawn had never seen a more pitiful sight in her life; her strong, fierce, fiery husband broken and sobbing on the ground. Her heart ached for Klaus.

"Please," Hanne told him, "don't shed anymore tears for me. This place is yer home now. Protect it. Protect yer children, and protect each other."

With that, she vanished.

Dawn sighed. With Klaus having endured this new trauma and Ichabod unconscious, she had to take charge. First, she gently pulled Klaus to his feet and steered him over to Daredevil. Then, she reached into her apron and fished out the vial of smelling salts. She always kept some on hand because Ichabod fainted so frequently. Gently, she waved it under his nose and he revived. The rain immediately began pouring down in buckets as they mounted their horses. It was difficult to see and Dawn held Daredevil's reins as well as Flash's to help guide them. Behind them, Starlight followed as closely as he could, bowing his head against the rain. During a flash of lightning, Dawn turned to look at Klaus. Tears were still pouring down his face. He stared at his hands in his lap. Dawn sighed.

A bright orange glow got their attention. Dawn let out a gasp and Flash ran in a gallop. Sensing her apprehension, Daredevil sped up as well.

Dawn let out a cry of disbelief when they reached their home. Flames had engulfed it. Hearing a tiny squeal, Dawn jumped off of Flash and ran towards the blaze. She reached through the broken glass in the children's room and pulled out Tiger, who was squalling for dear life. The rain doused the flames slowly.

"I cannot believe this!" Dawn kicked at a rock on the ground, "Of all the luck! We JUST get things back to normal and the damn house burns down! This is just perfect!"

Klaus stared at her obscenities, but she was relieved that she had his attention.

"At least we have Jaegar and Hanne in a safe place," Dawn sighed. Ichabod stared at red coals that used to be Klaus and Dawn's home.

"Well, shall we?" he asked weakly, gesturing towards the manor. Dawn took Klaus's hand and they followed, Daredevil, Starlight, and Flash following them.

Klaus's skin was icy to the touch and he couldn't stop shivering. Dawn insisted on a hot bath to warm his outsides and hot tea to warm his insides. He was shaking like a leaf when he took the cup. Behind them, the maids were filling the tub.

Dawn placed her hand over his to help steady it as he raised it to his lips. The heated liquid burned at first, but felt good going down. Dawn helped him strip off his soaked clothes and get into the tub. When he was in, he slid farther down until he was up to his chin. He hadn't said a word since they'd talked to the ghost. She massaged his shoulders, kneading all the tension out.

"I do not deserve you," he said dejectedly.

Dawn lifted his chin gently with her hand.

"Don't say that," she said gently, "my life would be horrible without you."

He looked up at her with those beautiful blue eyes that she'd fallen in love with, but their usual electricity wasn't there. Now, his eyes looked like the ocean after a storm.

"If I had just come home," he lamented, "none of this would have happened."

Dawn shook her head.

"It was an accident, Klaus. For all we know, if we'd been there, we'd have died."

Dawn kissed his forehead.

"I love you, and if anything ever happened to you, it would break my heart into a million pieces," Dawn told him.

Fresh tears glistened in his eyes.

"I was on my way home," he explained, his voice shaking, "when the woods seemed to call to me. I didn't expect to be there for so long. I saw Hanne and it was as though I was under a spell. I couldn't leave. I was afraid I'd never see her again."

Dawn suddenly felt very tired, but she rubbed his cheeks with her thumbs, urging him to go on.

"I did not move until I heard you."

Dawn kissed him on the forehead. The violent sound of hailstones hitting the glass startled both of them.

"It's okay," she whispered, cradling Klaus's head against her chest.

Once Klaus had warmed up enough that he wasn't shivering anymore, Dawn gave him his undergarments that had been drying on the fireplace hearth. None of Ichabod's night clothes would even come close to fitting his large muscular frame, so they would have to make do with plenty of blankets. Dawn also had to make do with only her underclothes for the time being because her dress was plastered with mud and dead leaves. She stripped herself down and scrubbed away all the mud on her legs and feet. Then, suddenly, she remembered. Dashing to the other room, she opened the wardrobe. There, long forgotten, were her black T-shirt and jeans that she'd come in. The shoes were long gone, but Dawn didn't have an issue with going barefoot for the time being. She often did it anyway because she loved the feel of grass under her feet during the spring and summer.

Klaus was still laying where she'd left him, tucked under the pile of blankets. He was not yet asleep; his troubled expression showed that something was on his mind. Dawn held them up, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Remember these?" Dawn asked. A faint smile played on his lips.

"Yes. You wore those clothes the day you learned how to ride Flash," Klaus reminisced, "Daredevil and I came after Flash and she did not like it."

Dawn chuckled.

"I can only imagine what that looked like from your point of view," she laughed, "me yelling at Flash to either stop or slow down and limbs smacking me in the face and me having a death grip on the reins and me falling off constantly."

So much had changed since then. She was grateful to have made Klaus smile again and to be off the subject of Hanne. She respected the fact that he would never stop loving her and that she had been there first, but at the same time, she did not want him to forget about her.

Dawn slipped between the sheets next to him. She knew that this would certainly not be the last challenge that they faced. Lady Van Tassel and John had exited their lives for now, but who was to say they wouldn't eventually return? Who was to say that someone else wouldn't try to come between them?

"Ich Liebe dich," Klaus mumbled. Dawn grinned, warmth filling her insides. It meant "I love you" in German. It was one of the first phrases she'd committed to memory.

"I love you, too," Dawn whispered, cuddling closer to him.

The world, with all its ugly thunderstorms and trials, seemed miles away outside.

The next morning after breakfast, Dawn went to the ruins of the house to see what could be salvaged. Almost everything had been burnt to a crisp. Hanne and Jaegar were busy looking after their kitten and Klaus, having no clothes, was staying in the bedroom. She managed to find some trousers and a shirt that were hanging on the clothesline. She thanked God for having forgotten to take in the clean laundry yesterday and gathered them. The rain had stopped and the clothes were dry.

After getting dressed, Dawn and Klaus sifted through the ashes together. Miraculously, Dawn's iPod, guitar, and computer were unscathed by either fire or water. She placed them in a laundry basket nearby to keep them from touching the wet grass and the guitar case went beside the basket.

Klaus plucked something from the ashes and blew on it to remove them.

"Dawn!" he called, holding it up.

"That's one tough picture," she commented, "that makes two fires it survived!"

It was the sketch that she had given him on Christmas the first year they were together. Klaus placed it gently in the basket.

"Here," Dawn said, pulling something else out of the ruins. Klaus held out his hand. It was his sword, his weapon that had survived against many, many wars. The blade wasn't even warped or melted.

"Why does that not surprise me?" he wondered out loud.

Between the two of them, they managed to find a few dishes and other kitchen tools, a few more of Dawn's drawings that had been framed, a few of Hanne and Jaegar's favorite toys and their school books, and Klaus's armor. Most of the furniture, including their bed, had been destroyed. The roof had collapsed in during the night, a pile of broken and burnt boards. The house was definitely not inhabitable.

"Well, looks like we're starting over," Dawn said as they carried the basket to the house, "but-"

Klaus turned to look at her, nervousness revealed in the way his knuckles suddenly whitened around the basket handle. Dawn gave him a reassuring smile.

"-there's no one I'd rather do it with," she finished, "you can breathe again."

Klaus didn't realize he'd held his breath until it came out of his lungs with a whoosh-sound.

Ichabod and Katrina agreed to help Dawn and Klaus back on their feet. Dawn and Klaus explained what they wanted in the house (this time, they agreed to have two separate rooms for the boys and girls since Dawn was expecting) and Ichabod sat down with a pen and paper. He sketched them a rough outline of the house suggesting that they have a two-story house; they could always partition off the attic and make more rooms. His suggestion was perfectly straight-faced, but Masbeth snorted into his hands behind him. Klaus grinned devilishly and Dawn blushed bright red. Then, he and Katrina made arrangements for someone to haul away the burned remains of the first house.

Dawn vaguely wondered what Hanne's ghost had meant about the raiders, but she shoved it out of her mind.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Sorry about the slow updates

A/N: Sorry about the slow updates. I've had a few health issues to deal with and I can't take my laptop to the doctor's office (SIGH). As always, reviews are appreciate.

Chapter 13

A few more things turned up after the rain washed some of the ash away. They found Dawn's armor this time, and her sword. The remains of the house were torn down and the workers promised construction when it was dry again. As fate seemed to have it, it would be a while because it wouldn't stop raining.

Dawn had given some more thought to Hanne's ghost. When Klaus had calmed down and stopped beating himself up over everything, Dawn had talked it over with him. Deciding not to take the warning lightly, they got Daredevil and Starlight (Flash would show up too easily in the dark) and rode a little way out of town. Instructing Daredevil and Starlight to stay hidden, Klaus and Dawn crept closer to what looked like a camp.

Two men sat by the fire talking. There were others milling about and setting up tents.

"English," Klaus hissed, his voice dripping with anger.

"I thought so," Dawn whispered, "my history book says we're close to the war of 1812."

The look on Klaus's face was worthy of a picture. She had never seen pure fury on his face, but it was almost frightening.

"We must do something," he said, lips brushing against her ear so that the campers couldn't hear then, "we could chase them away right now if we had our swords."

"There's a buttload of them," Dawn cautioned him, "and two of us. If we are, we're going to have to be careful."

They crept away without being noticed.

"Let's get the swords and the armor," Dawn whispered, "and my mask. I have an idea."

Katrina was still awake when they got back. They told Katrina of the danger and she immediately retrieved a bottle from a locked cabinet.

"Rub this on your face," she explained to Klaus, "they will think you are still the Headless Horseman."

Dawn and Klaus went upstairs. With trembling hands, she helped him get his armor on and buckled, then he helped her. Before she put her gloves on, she rubbed the strange liquid onto Klaus's cheeks, then rubbed it all the way over. She also coated Klaus's hair, then rinsed her hands. Within seconds, Klaus's head had totally disappeared as the stuff dried.

"Oh, my God," Dawn breathed. She cautiously touched him. She could still feel his skin beneath her fingertips, but she couldn't see it. Where Klaus's neck was, there was only a dark spot. She didn't think she could handle seeing the inside.

"All right, let's go," she said weakly, still feeling Klaus's electric blue eyes on her. She pulled her mask down over her face and they retrieved the horses.

After discussing a plan (Dawn couldn't keep from shivering when she heard Klaus's voice coming seemingly out of nowhere), they stopped at the top of the hill where they knew the raiders to be.

"I feel weird about this," Dawn confessed, her voice slightly distorted by the mask, "we're only going to scare them unless they attack us, right?"

"Yes," he said, leaning over to give her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I hope that stuff washes off," Dawn said, "it's really creepy to see you with no head."

"That makes me feel wonderful," Klaus teased her.

"Sorry," Dawn said, flushing hotly under the mask. His laugh told her that he was kidding and he didn't blame her.

"Watch this," Dawn said, riding forward. She rode until she was completely visible in the moonlight. Some of the men stopped what they were doing, pointing and whispering. Dawn sang a few wordless notes. Upon finding out that she was female, they began making very rude comments and coming closer. Klaus, who was still hidden, felt his blood boil. He would make them pay for that!

"RAWR!" Dawn roared, whipping out the sword. She slashed at the one closest, not trying to kill him, only injure him. He let out a cry of pain and staggered back. The others were horrified, disbelieving that a woman would do such a thing. Klaus took this as his cue and Daredevil galloped down the other side of the hill.

Upon seeing the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow himself, the camp turned very chaotic. Dawn and Klaus rode a few yards away from each other, swiping at their heads just to scare them. Many of them hopped on their horses and rode away without taking any of their stuff. A few stayed to fight, but ran when they became injured. Klaus only had to take out two or three of them. When it was over, they both breathed a sigh of relief. They'd managed to get rid of them.

"We did it!" Dawn slapped Klaus a high-five before hugging him.

He leaned in to kiss her. The kiss was somewhat clumsy because she couldn't see his face, but it was a victory anyway.

After a thorough scrubbing, Klaus was himself again. His face had taken on some color because it had taken some vigorous scrubbing to get the invisibility potion off.

"Let's go to bed," Dawn yawned, "we earned it."

She got ready to get back on Starlight. They'd paused at a river to wash away the potion.

"Remember this clearing?" he asked her as they passed the clearing where his tree had once stood.

"Oh yes," Dawn said smugly, "good times."

Seeing him in his armor reminded her of when they had first met. The moonlight shining on him made him look spectral again, reflecting out of his beautiful eyes and making them appear to glow. Dawn felt herself melting in the saddle.

Klaus felt his insides tighten. Dawn still had her mask on, but her blonde curls spilled out along her back because she hadn't bothered to tuck them into her collar. He couldn't see her face, but the feeling hung heavy in the air. He _had_ to have her. They had leaned in to kiss and were both ready to get off the horses and relive their memory when a scream from the distance startled them out of it.

"Katrina!" Dawn exclaimed. They spurred their horses towards the Van Tassel manor.

Upon reaching the front yard, they saw immediately what had happened. Some of the raiders had come here while they had been gone and were attacking them. One of them had Katrina pinned against the wall and was touching her in places that only Ichabod should. Meanwhile, Ichabod was unconscious on the ground, blood coming out of his nose and mouth. This time, Dawn guessed, he hadn't fainted. Another had Masbeth in a choke-hold.

Klaus's sword rammed through Katrina's assailant and he was sliced cleanly in half. Dawn hacked into the back of the one holding Masbeth and left a nasty gash down his back. Masbeth took in a shuddering breath and punched him in the jaw, causing him to drop to the ground. Klaus finished him off. Three more came out of the house with armfuls of valuables only to meet their end.

"We have good timing," Dawn commented shakily. Klaus lifted Ichabod off the ground as though he weighed no more than a sack of flour.

"He's badly banged up," Dawn said, doctoring the cuts on his face, "but I think he'll be all right."

Ichabod began to revive soon after, his head in Katrina's lap. She assured him that nothing serious had happened, that Dawn and Klaus had gotten there in time. Warily, they all went to bed.

Dawn was irritated that her and Klaus's special moment had been ruined, but she was grateful that everyone was all right.

Klaus woke much earlier than Dawn did. He wasn't sure why he was up so early; he just was. The sky was still a darker shade of turquoise with a blood red streak where the sun would appear. He sat up and studied his sleeping wife.

Memories flooded his mind. He smiled, recalling how he used to climb the tree and get in through the window. He remembered feeling like a child stealing a pastry when Ichabod and Katrina had married and he'd stayed with Dawn and Ann for a week. When Ann was asleep, they'd go out for late-night walks and rides.

He wondered why, of all people, Dawn had chosen him. Suddenly, there was a burst of light. A glowing white man stood in the doorway. For some strange reason, he seemed familiar, but Klaus couldn't place him.

"She chose you because you are you," the man said. His voice was so different, so musical.

"Who are you?" Klaus demanded, rising from the bed.

"I am Gabriel," the man answered, "I was sent to watch over Dawn when she took that journey through Hell."

To prove his point, Gabriel spread his wings.

Klaus stared at him, disbelief rippling across his tough features.

"I know this is all a bit much," Gabriel sympathized, "but you two didn't think you were together by chance alone, did you?"

Klaus blinked, the only sign that he'd even registered what Gabriel had said.

"I know nothing of divine power," Klaus said skeptically, "only that everyone on earth is trying to control everyone else."

Gabriel smiled and shook his head.

"Yes, well, that's human nature unfortunately," he said, trying not to laugh, "I could see why you are such a skeptic."

Klaus's expression hardened. Gabriel sobered, knowing he'd touched a sensitive nerve. He remembered the time Klaus had not been able to control his own body.

"But, I didn't come here to start anything, at least not negative," Gabriel said, "I came to tell you and Dawn to get married."

Klaus gave him an incredulous look.

"You are husband and wife, yes," Gabriel hastily added, "but being united under the law wouldn't hurt either. And you are both so afraid of failing one another that it's causing problems. Trust yourself, Klaus Abendroth, even when it isn't easy. She needs you to."

Dawn stirred, but did not wake up.

"The two of you have fought a most Hellish battle," Gabriel said gently, "but it won't be your last. You will have many trials that you must face together, matters of the heart."

He placed both hands on Klaus's shoulders.

"Do not be afraid," Gabriel told him before vanishing into thin air.

He closed his eyes for a moment, sighing again. He'd had enough of ghosts and magic to last him a lifetime, but he was in a good mood for the first time since the house had burned.

Klaus and Ichabod returned just as the sun was beginning to set. They were discussing what to do with the boy that broke into an old lady's house when Masbeth met them at the parlor door.

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you, sirs," Masbeth warned them, "Dawn, Ann, Jane, and Katrina are discussing wedding plans."

Klaus and Ichabod shared the same "just great" expression.

"We'll leave them to it, then," Ichabod said, "if I've learned anything in being married, it's to never come between a woman and wedding plans or any sort of party plans they've got."

Klaus chuckled.

The girls didn't show themselves until dinner. Even then, they were all talking at once and it was hard to even hear, let alone get in a word. Klaus only managed to snatch a few tidbits as he ate silently.

"...no, no, definitely outdoor wedding--inside gets too stuffy in the spring because it's hot..."

"...I like this color best...no, this one!"

"...daisies, not just roses..."

"How many bridesmaids...?"

It seemed like an eternity after the other girls were gone. Dawn was looking very tired.

"Man, this is exhausting," Dawn sighed, "I just want things to be simple, but even simplicity needs detailing. Wake me when it's over."

She lay her head against Klaus's shoulder and he smiled, wrapping an arm around her. They were sitting on the edge of the bed in their room. Downstairs, a shriek of laughter made Dawn giggle.

"Ichabod makes a pretty good father," Dawn commented, "and Hanne and Jaegar love their uncle."

He massaged Dawn's belly. Her belly wouldn't be nearly as big with this one as it had been with the twins, but it was already stretching. Most people could tell Dawn was carrying just by looking at her.

"I sure will be glad when she's born," Dawn commented.

"How do you know that it will be a girl?" Klaus asked.

"Just a feeling," Dawn answered, placing her hands over his. He felt something move beneath his hand.

"She says 'hi'," Dawn commented, "she's been moving a lot lately."

Curious, Klaus pressed in on that spot. He guessed the baby was kicking at him.

"What does that feel like?" he asked, curious.

"When it moves? Sort of like you have a butterfly inside of you," Dawn answered, "when it goes over to one particular side, then it just feels plain weird, kind of off-balance."

The door flew open and Hanne and Jaegar came bounding in.

"What on earth have you been doing?" Dawn asked, laughing. Both of them had mussed clothes and mussed hair. One of Hanne's braids had come undone completely. Klaus chuckled.

"We were playing chase with Jasmine," Hanne answered, "we had to go under the couch and table to get away from Uncle. He's fast."

Dawn glanced at the clock. It was time for bed, at least for the children.

"Well, I'm glad you had a good time," Dawn said, "but now, it's time to go to bed."

They both groaned, as all children do, but didn't put up a fight about it. Dawn steered them into their room and waited as they changed into their night clothes. Then, they chose the children's stories that they wanted Dawn to read. Klaus leaned against the doorframe, watching them. They kissed the children goodnight and closed the door.

"You know," Dawn said as she changed into her nightgown, "there was never a doubt in my mind that we were married in the first place."

Klaus was sitting in the chair by the window. He looked up at her as she smoothed out her hair and began to braid it so it wouldn't tangle.

"All these years, I feel like we're husband and wife just like any other couple in this town," Dawn said, looking over at him.

"We are," Klaus assured her. He held out his arms and Dawn embraced him.

"That night that we were looking at stars in the clearing," Dawn said, flushing slightly, "I gave my spirit to you, too."

There wasn't a doubt in his mind.

"Sie haben meine Liebe, meinen Geist, mein Leben. Das kann ich Ihnen versprechen." 1

Translation: "You have my love, my spirit, my life. This I promise you."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

A/N: "Yay! The last chapter!" (breaks open a bottle of champagne) "Have fun reading this. I'm kind of sad the story's over, but it's been begging for an ending for such a long time. Got a few surprises in here. Also, the song Dawn sings at the end is "To be Loved By You" by Wynona Judd, and I think you'll recognize it from "Eclipse", the first Dawn and Klaus story I wrote. Hugs to you all who review!

Chapter 14

The day of the wedding dawned cool and bright. Everyone decided to do the wedding outside during the morning to keep it from being uncomfortably hot. Dawn eyed the clouds rolling in from the west with some trepidation. Would it rain them out?

She examined herself in the mirror. She liked this dress much better than the one John had picked out. It fit her comfortably and made her look slimmer despite the baby belly that was poking out. Her veil did not cover her face because she found that bothersome. Her bouquet was a mixture of red roses and white daisies. Hanne had a white lacy dress on also, but it didn't look as much like a wedding dress. Jaegar and Klaus wore matching suits. Everyone could definitely tell that they were a family. Ann was going to be the maid of honor, Jaegar, the ring-bearer, and Hanne, the flower-girl.

Dawn took a deep breath as she stood in front of the mirror. She hoped that things were going to get back to normal, or at least what passed for normal around here. Klaus's sword rested in the corner of the bedroom of their new house. It glinted in the morning sunlight that was trying to overcome the ominous clouds.

"I guess I'd better get out there," Dawn mumbled.

She did not notice the figure sitting cross-legged on the bed, nor the other figure leaning against the back of a chair as she left.

"She looks Heavenly," John commented.

Gabriel folded his arms.

"Yes, she does. You do realize that you're going to have to behave yourself if you want a second chance, right?"

John looked guiltily at the floor.

"Yes," he mumbled.

"Are you sure you covered your tracks well enough?" Gabriel asked him.

"Yes, I did," John said sourly, "Klaus will never find out that Lady Van Tassel buried all that gold beside where his tree was. The only thing they know is that they got the money from an unnamed source. Pity they didn't find it BEFORE the Hessian came back to life. I think it would have proven quite useful."

It had taken him forever to dig the gold out even with his newfound powers. On top of that, he'd had Gabriel chiding him to work harder and to work faster. Along with Gabriel, Hanne had also been there, chewing him out for having bothered the couple earlier. The woman's Irish accent became hard to decipher when she talked so fast.

What had compelled him to change? It wasn't sure. Maybe it was seeing Dawn nearly die as she was transported back to the surface. Maybe it was his conscience finally kicking in when he thought of her potentially bereaved husband and her two heartbroken children that were waiting above. Maybe it was the part of him that still wanted to be good. He had not been a godly man since he left seminary school. He would never be a man of the Word again for what he'd done. But he wanted to do something, for the guilt was overwhelming.

In his own twisted way, he would always love Dawn.

As he'd watched her in front of the mirror, he'd seen the two souls in one body. The spirit of the baby girl, bright, white, and pure rested inside her womb. She'd be born happy and healthy if nothing interfered with it. He vowed he would not let anyone else hurt Dawn and Klaus the way he had.

"Well," Gabriel said, "let's not just sit here and mope over a lost cause. We have a wedding to attend to, my student."

John sighed and got up from the bed, being careful to smooth out the imprint he'd made.

"Let's go," he said resignedly, trying to conjure up some genuine happiness.

"I do," Dawn said affectionately.

"Excellent. I know pronounce you man and wife, even though that was probably the case before you got here," the preacher said, "you may kiss the bride."

Dawn's breath caught in her throat.

_This is silly. I've kissed him thousands of times and it still feels like the first time,_ she thought. Just as their lips met, a thunderstorm broke loose over everyone, showering them. The women, squealing and shouting, ran inside. Dawn and Klaus ignored the rain completely even though the preacher left, too. Hanne and Jaegar danced in circles in the rain.

When the two lovers finally came up for air, they were laughing.

"Let's go," Dawn said, her stomach rumbling, "I didn't eat anything this morning and I'm starving for some cake."

At the mention of cake, Jaegar and Hanne eagerly went with them.

The party lasted into the wee hours of the morning. Ichabod and Katrina carried the children to bed as the guests became tipsy off of cake and champagne. Dawn's iPod was playing cheerfully, plugged into the speakers and sitting on the mantle of the fireplace. No one even noticed that the guests of honor were gone and the gifts with them.

Dawn cuddled up with Klaus in their new bed. The German man was the picture of contentment: he was smiling ear to ear.

"What a day," Dawn mumbled, stretching out beside him, "what a year, what a lifetime."

Klaus laughed.

"If anyone had told me where I'd be this time eight years ago, I would have laughed my head off, then called the psych ward to come and get them. And you know what? It doesn't seem like it's been eight years."

"No, it does not," he agreed.

Outside, the summer crickets were playing their own music. Fireflies flashed their yellow-green glow as they drifted on the breeze. Dawn's mind drifted back to the clearing so long ago...it had been a night like this.

_"Let the mountains rise,_

_I will climb them all,_

_when my body's weak,_

_I will not fall,_

_call my name,_

_I'll find a way to get through..._

_there's nothing that I won't do..."_

She paused to look into Klaus's electric blue eyes, the ones that still sent chills down her spine...

_"To be loved by you."_

The End.


End file.
